Bruce and Selina's Granite State Adventure
by Swift Bolt99
Summary: Bruce and Selina go on vacation in New Hampshire under the watchful eye of their FBI buddy Agent Ashley Hayes. This is my sequel to The Rightful Wayne Heir by Fanwirter-83.
1. Chapter 1

Bruce and Selina's Granite State Adventure.

Chapter One

Somewhere near Concord, New Hampshire

After speeding down a dirt road in the middle of the woods, a convoy consisting of five black Chevy Tahoes arrived at the cabin.

FBI agents dressed in full tactical gear and armed with M4-A1 assault rifles quickly emerged from the vehicles and formed a perimeter then Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle were quickly ushered from the fourth vehicle with Agent Ashley Hayes leading the way.

She threw her keys to one of the agents standing near the door so he could unlock it.

"It's open ma'am."

"Thank you, Agent Tapper," Hayes replied as they continued on in.

"Wow, nice place," Selina commented.

"Thanks, you two sit on the couch while I talk to Agent Baldwin. You can watch whatever you want on the TV," Hayes replied before disappearing into the kitchen.

Bruce tried reaching for the remote on the coffee table, but Selina beat him to it and sat on couch.

"Agent Hayes will tell us everything we need to know about the attack on the Concord Police Station after she's done talking to Agent Baldwin. So no disaster news for you, B."

"Fair enough," Bruce replied then sat down next to Selina and wrapped his arm around her as she went through the guide on the bottom of the screen.

"Oh, here's something for you," Selina said upon stopping at a show called Squawk Box on CNBC and clicking the select button. The people on the program were talking about latest developments from global financial markets.

Agent Hayes finished her phone call and went back into the living room.

"Bruce, Selina, I have some good news and some bad news."

Bruce grabbed the remote and pressed the mute button then stood up.

"What's the good news, Agent Hayes?" Bruce asked.

"The good news is that all of the attackers at the police station have been suppressed. Seven killed, one injured and has been taken into custody by the agents on site."

"Were there any friendly casualties during the battle?"

"Sadly, yes. Concord PD lost three cops and four of our guys were wounded, they're currently in stable condition at the local hospital."

"And the status of the scrawny little asshole?" Selina asked.

"Well that's where the other bad news comes in. Thomas Wayne Jr hasn't been recovered and judging by the scream, he must've been attacked by something or someone.

"Have the woods near the police station been searched yet?" Bruce asked.

"Agent Baldwin sent a team and a helicopter to look for him shortly after the hostiles were eliminated. It was a small area so they didn't have look very far, but their search turned up empty."

"Maybe the council was looking to pick him off for his failure," Selina commented.

"Or maybe they were trying to silence him to keep us from learning more about them. Until we see a body, it would be safe to assume that he's still at large."

"My people are thinking the same thing, Bruce. Agent Baldwin will provide us with more details by the end of the day."

"Selina and I more than ready to jump back into action if necessary."

"Agent Baldwin knew you would say that and he also told me to tell you that you guys should take some time to enjoy this state. It really is a beautiful place."

"We will, but we must not let our guard down."

"I agree," Hayes replied then sensing that the briefing was done, Selina unmuted the TV.

"So what's for breakfast, Hayes?" Selina asked.

"I was thinking blueberry pancakes, eggs, and bacon if you two are interested.

"Sure," Bruce said with a smile.

"I'm game," Selina replied.

Before heading back to the kitchen, Hayes glanced at the TV and then at Bruce.

"Squawk Box on CNBC? I figured you would watch something like that."

"Actually, my girlfriend here picked it for me," Bruce replied pointing back at Selina who just smiled.

A while later, breakfast was served and Selina was blown away by the taste of the blueberry pancakes.

"Wow Agent Hayes, these pancakes are delicious."

"Thank you Selina, I take it that it's been a while since you had pancakes?"

"It's been a while since I had some this good. Pancakes back in Gotham don't even come close to this."

"You must be referring to those from the restaurants. I know from experience. One time I nabbed some from a guy walking out of a diner. I thought I snagged a good feast, until I put the first forkful into my mouth."

"Did you discard them?" Bruce asked.

"No way. When you're a street kid, the last thing you do is waste food. You never know when or how your next meal might come."

"How long were you on the streets before being adopted?"

"Four years. Four long agonizing years of struggling to survive the mean streets of Gotham. But if someone asked me if they're was one good thing I got out of it, it would be learning how to be a tougher person.

"People who lack toughness tend not to last very long in Gotham. I've seen what happens to the weak on a couple of occasions. And I'm not saying that your parents were weak, Bruce."

"I know," Bruce replied then resumed eating.

Suddenly, Hayes's cellphone rings and she pulls it out of her pocket to answer it.

"Agent Hayes here."

"How are things going with Bruce and Selina?"

"Pretty good, Director. We're just having breakfast and chilling at the spot. The original plan was to have breakfast at the local IHOP but after the attack on the police station, I decided to bring them here instead."

"A good call considering the situation," Director Voss replied then went on to give Hayes her new orders.

"Understood sir, thank you," she replied then hung up."

"What did Director Voss want?" Selina asked.

"He just wanted to see how we were doing and due to recent events, he has decided to keep me assigned to you two indefinitely."

Bruce and Selina cheered upon hearing that then went back to finishing their breakfast.

"Afterwards, she showed them the rest of the house including the guest bedroom.

"I take it you two won't have an issue sharing a bed?"

"We'll be fine Agent Hayes and even though Bruce and I are now boyfriend and girlfriend, the only thing we'll be doing in it is sleeping like babies provided that it's comfortable."

"I believe it is," Bruce commented then walked over to the bed and fell onto it backwards.

"Wow, it looks like he's out already, Selina said as she and Hayes walked over to him.

"He looks so cute when he's asleep," Hayes commented.

"Tell me about it. I remember the first time I broke into his house. I was looking for a little trinket to steal which I did find. But on the way out, I saw this cute little boy fast asleep on the couch. Honestly if I was in a position to steal him instead of a decorative box, I would have."

"But then you would have the issue of trying to keep a scared kid under control and the authorities hunting you for kidnapping."

"But having him and his cuteness all to myself would've been worth it.

"Well you certainly have that now since he is officially your boyfriend."

Selina took another look at Bruce and suddenly began to grin.

"What are you thinking about now, Selina?"

"I just got a wonderful idea, Agent Hayes."

Thirty minutes later, Bruce woke up to the sight of Selina and Hayes smiling down on him.

"Hey there sunshine, did you have a nice nap?" Hayes asked.

"Yeah, you weren't lying. This bed is fantastic, and were you two standing over me the whole time?"

"We were, but then Selina decided to… slightly modify your face."

"Have a look," Selina said then held up a mirror to his face and what he saw shocked him.

"Dollar signs, you drew dollar signs on my face?" Bruce shouted.

"I think it's fitting, you are a billion dollar man after all."

Bruce sprung up and ran out of the room screaming as Selina and Hayes erupted into laughter.

"Wow Selina, you sure know how to get a vacation off to a good start."

"I know, right."

One minute later, Bruce came back with a clean face.

"Such a pity," Selina jokingly commented.

"No hard feelings, so what's next?"

"We're still gonna lay low due to this morning's incident, but I was thinking that we could head out back and play a game of catch."

"Sure, let's do it," Bruce said.

"Great, I'll go get the mitts and the ball," Hayes replied.

A few seconds later, they were in the back yard throwing the baseball to each other as a group of federal agents stood guard.

"So Agent Hayes, are we the first kids you've been tasked with protecting?"

"No, Selina. But you two are the first that I see as more than just another assignment."

"Why's that?" Bruce asked after receiving the ball from Selina and throwing it to Hayes.

"I just felt no real connection to them beyond the parameters of the mission statement. Getting overly attached to the people you're guarding isn't a good idea in my line of work."

"So what makes us special besides seeing us as your own adopted kids?"

"Perhaps it's the Gothamite link we share, or the fact that you and Selina are more than capable of handling yourselves on an operation. But above all else, you two make me feel alive. Alfred strikes me as a great guy too."

"He certainly is," Bruce replied.

"Yeah, but last night's mission was a cakewalk, I would really love to take part in a real operation. You know, the ones that involve knocking down doors and kicking ass."

"If things with Bruce's traitorous brother heat back up again, you just might get your chance, Selina."

"Another reason why I want to see some real action is to show Agent Cunningham what I'm really capable of under fire."

"I understand, he was really of out of line for calling you a sweetheart last night and saying that you would run if a fight started."

"No need to correct him for me, my chance to prove him wrong will come soon enough?" Selina said.

"Maybe he'll find himself in a situation that will require us to save him," Bruce commented.

"Ha, wouldn't that be something," Selina replied.

"I can already see the headlines. Soldier boy turned federal agent saved by a fellow fed and two kids after an op goes wrong," Hayes said then a voice came over her earpiece.

"Agent Hayes, this is Tapper, Agent Baldwin just arrived and says he has information you guys might want to hear."

"Copy that. Tell him to meet us inside."

Bruce, Selina, and Hayes return to the living room where they see Agent Baldwin already present with his laptop on the coffee table.

"Hello Agent Baldwin, we weren't expecting you till the end of the day."

"I know, Bruce. But our wounded suspect came to faster than expected and was very forthcoming during our bedside interrogation."

"What did you learn from him? Bruce asked.

Baldwin brought up the profile of the guy they had in custody and began his presentation.

"This is Clirim Bujar, the leader of the squad that attacked us at the police station today. Born and raised in Albania where prior to becoming a bad guy, he served in the Albanian Army where he rose to the rank of Captain. Sometime after he left the service, he moved to Gotham where he started up a mercenary crew comprised of fellow Albanians that went around doing jobs for the various crime bosses in the city."

"So how did these guys go from beings hired guns for local thugs to working for this secret council?" Selina asked.

"According to Mr. Bujar, he and his crew were approached by a middleman claiming to represent an organization that had great power and influence in Gotham. They were told that an individual of great value to them was in federal custody and they would be paid fifty-million dollars for his capture and safe return to them."

"Does he know anything about Thomas's disappearance in the woods near the police station?"

"He claims not to, but I think there was more than one team of mercs in play and the council probably briefed them on their parts of the operation separately."

"Sounds like a case of the right hand not knowing what the left was doing."

"You're right on the money Bruce."

"You've should've been here earlier, Agent Baldwin. The money was right on him. I took the liberty of drawing dollar signs on his face," Selina replied grinning.

"Thank you for the bringing us up to speed, Agent Baldwin. If you happen to have any breaks in the search for Thomas, I want you to contact us right away."

"Sure thing, Bruce. But in the meantime, try to enjoy the more positive things New Hampshire has to offer. Spending every waking moment fixated on conflict is bad for your health."

After Baldwin departed, Bruce, Selina, and Hayes resumed their game of catch for a few hours then broke for lunch.

After that, they went back to playing catch for a while longer, then went for a walk in the nearby woods until the late evening when they returned to the cabin and played a couple of board games and watched some television before calling it a night.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Hayes's Cabin

Day two

6:00 AM

Bruce, Selina, and Agent Hayes started off the day like most people, having breakfast and discussing plans for the day. The meal for this morning was scrambled eggs, Sausage links, and bacon courtesy of Agent Hayes.

"What do you got there, Bruce?" Selina asked referring to the booklet he was reading.

"Just a little guide pointing out all of the fun things to do in Concord. I was thinking that we could spend some time exploring the state capital today."

"Not a problem at all Bruce. But I want you kids to know that whenever we're out in public, we'll be covered by a six man team. Four of my men will be packing M4-A1s and the other two will be packing P-90s. If shit hits the fan, we'll fall back to the convoy and return here."

"It's a good plan Agent Hayes. But aren't you worried about the sight of your weapons freaking other people out?"

"It's a strong possibility, but protecting you and Selina is far more important than other people's feelings. If our presence makes them nervous, they can go home and hide under their beds for all I care."

Bruce was a little startled by Hayes's response, but he couldn't argue with her logic.

"Even though I do carry a knife on me everywhere I go, I think I should pack a gun too."

"A kid walking around a big gun might raise more eyebrows then our security team, Selina. But I'll give you a sidearm before we head out."

"Thanks Agent Hayes."

"You don't have to address me by my job title all the time, you can call me Ashley too."

"But which one do you prefer more?"

"Oh Bruce, you're such an inquisitive little boy," Hayes replied with a smile then patted him on the head.

"Hey, go easy on the masterpiece," Bruce jokingly said which drew a laugh from Selina.

"If you're so worried about your precious hair, maybe you should get some insurance for it."

"Great idea, Selina. If Troy Polamalu can get his insured for one million dollars, Bruce could do it too."

"Who's Troy Polamalu?"

Hayes couldn't help but give Bruce an oddball look, but Selina was quick rectify the situation.

"He's a former football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers. You'll have to forgive Bruce for his lack of sports knowledge. Whenever he's not hanging with me, he's usually boxing with Alfred or buried up to his forehead in detective work."

"You don't strike me as much of a sports fan either, Selina. And how do you know about the Steelers?"

"I've sat in on a couple of football games before. It's one of the benefits of having an actual social life."

"She's got you there Bruce."

"So it seems. Before we partake in the fun stuff he city has to offer, I wish to stop by the police station where the attack took place to extend my condolences to the officers about their fallen colleagues.

"Sure thing."

By 7:30, Bruce was sitting in the third vehicle waiting for Agent Hayes and Selina to join him.

Back in Hayes's bedroom, she and Selina did a final check of their M9 Berettas before putting them their holsters which were concealed beneath their jackets.

"Are you excited for today, Selina?"

"Every day is an exciting one in my world. Especially when Bruce Wayne is around."

"He's probably getting restless in the vehicle right now, let's get out there.

A few seconds later, Hayes walked out the door talking on her cellphone with Selina right beside her.

"We're going to be spending the bulk of our time in Concord today. Our first stop is going to be 4th Precinct police station so Bruce can extend his condolences."

"That's kind of him to do, but you might want to remain outside. Captain Caviezel is still pissed at us over yesterday."

"Understood Agent Baldwin, Hayes out."

Selina jumped in the front passenger seat and buckled up as Hayes started the vehicle.

"Are you buckled up back there, Bruce?"

"Yes, Ashley."

Hayes smiled then grabbed the radio. "Victor Three to to Victor One, we're ready to get moving."

"Roger, Agent Hayes."

"Concord, here we come," Selina said as they headed down the dirt trail.

One minute later, they were in the city and driving down the streets. Traffic was still light and some of the stores hadn't opened up yet.

"I don't see a single person on the sidewalks."

"It's still early in the morning, Selina. People are bound to turn up at some point," Bruce replied.

"I know, I guess I'm just more used to the streets of Gotham which are filled with people no matter what time of day it is."

As we go throughout the day, you'll see that the streets of Concord are the total opposite of Gotham's and much safer too.

"Officially I believe you Agent Hayes, but the cat in me still needs proof."

"I assure you that your inner cat will be satisfied, but we must all be on our A game in case a trouble maker pops up."

"It's going to be a good day for us, Ashley. I can feel it."

"Keep being positive, Bruce," Hayes replied.

The convoy went past a bus stop that had four people waiting then came to a stop in front of some stores a few seconds later.

"Alright Bruce, you're gonna make a right at that corner and head straight down to the police station on the other side of the street. I'll have some of my guys escort you to the crosswalk, but they'll have to wait there because Agent Baldwin told me that Captain Caviezel will be less than happy to see federal agents in his station."

"Why?"

"I'll explain when you return, Bruce."

Selina opened the glovebox where she found a radio and a pair of tactical binoculars.

"Hmm what are you up to, Selina?" Hayes asked.

"I'm going to take up an overwatch position on one of the rooftops. Wait for my signal before sending Bruce to station.

"Okay," Hayes replied.

"And pop the trunk, I'm taking a vest with me too."

Selina got out of the vehicle a retrieved a vest from the back.

After suiting up and placing the radio in one of the vest pockets and the binoculars around her neck, she disappeared into the alley.

While they waited for her signal, Bruce and his security detail which consisted of two men armed with P-90s got into position.

Selina climbed up a fire escape on the third building and after scanning the roof for any signs of danger which found none of, she ran to a nearby ledge and activated her radio.

"Agent Hayes, this is Cat Zero-One. I'm in position on the third building and I got eyes on the intersection between us and the police station.

"Is Bruce cleared to move?"

"Affirmative."

"Copy that Hayes replied then told Bruce he was good to go.

The walk to the intersection proceeded without incident and in addition to the intersection, Selina also kept an eye on the buildings and alleys on the left side of the street.

Upon reaching the crosswalk and getting the signal to cross, Bruce continued on without his FBI escorts.

"Cat Zero-One, this is Agent Marvin, Bruce just entered the station parking lot."

"Copy that, I see him," Selina replied as she watched her boyfriend through the binoculars as he entered the building.

Bruce entered the building and went straight to the desk sergeant.

"Good morning kid, what can I do for you?"

"Morning sir, my name is Bruce Wayne and I wish to speak to Captain Caviezel."

Hold on for a second, the desk sergeant replied then picked up the phone to call his boss.

A few seconds after the call was made, Caviezel appeared.

"Ah, the son of Gotham himself. What can I do for you, Mr. Wayne?"

"I'm here to extend my condolences about the officers you lost yesterday.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Wayne," Caviezel replied. The deaths of my officers could've been prevented had the FBI did their little prisoner transfer somewhere else."

"Even if they did, there was no way this attack could've been prevented."

At least it wouldn't've happened at my station. So what else brings you to our city besides paying us a visit?"

"I'm actually here on vacation and I hope to see as much of this state as possible. And not to worry, I do have some security with me as well.

"You mean those FBI guys standing across the street? One of my officers reported spotting them as he drove out on a patrol."

"Yes."

"You could replace them with some of Concords finest."

"Thanks for the offer, but my security arrangements are fine the way they currently are. Keeping the city safe is a far more important task for you and your men anyway.

"I can't really argue with that, Mr. Wayne. I hope you and whoever else is part of your entourage have fun."

"We will sir, have a good day," Bruce replied then turned and headed for the exit.

After Bruce went through the door, Caviezel slammed his fist on the desk.

"Those feds always get better assignments than us. Man I really hate those guys."

Bruce and his escorts returned to the convoy just in time to see Selina closing the trunk after putting back the vest.

"Welcome back, B. I was watching over you from one of the rooftops," Selina said as Agent Marvin and his partner returned to their vehicle.

"I had a feeling you would be, thanks."

"Always Selina replied then they got back in their vehicle.

"So how did it go in there, Bruce?"

"It went well, Agent Hayes. But Captain Caviezel blames you guys for the attack on his station and costing him three officers."

"That's why Agent Baldwin advised us to remain outside the station while you went in."

"A good call considering the circumstances, and I even picked up a hint of jealously too."

"What do you mean?"

"He tried to persuade me to replace you and your men with his, but I turned him down. I actually feel safer with you guys anyway and I enjoy your presence just as much as you enjoy mine and Selina's."

"I really appreciate that, Bruce. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"I wouldn't've taken his offer either. It doesn't matter what city we're in. my distrust of cops is universal. But I will make an exception for Detective Gordon back in Gotham, he's okay."

"As someone who spent a good deal of their childhood on the streets of Gotham, I don't blame you for your lack of trust in cops Selina."

"Yeah. And just so you know Ashley, I'm keeping these binoculars."

"Under normal circumstances you would be arrested for theft of federal property. But since I like you, I'll make an exception. I have another pair anyway."

"Well thanks for letting me have them."

"So where to, Bruce?" Hayes asked.

"I think we should pay a visit to the Susan N. McLane Audubon Center. It has over several miles of hiking trails and a vast variety of birds like eagles, hawks, owls, and falcons," Bruce replied after looking at the info in his Things to Do in Concord booklet.

"The wildlife sanctuary, good choice," Hayes said then started the engine and told the convoy about their new destination.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3.

Susan N. McLane Audubon Center

9:02AM

Bruce, Selina, and Agent Hayes were walking on one of the many nature trails of the facility, enjoying the fresh air as they went. The men of their security team were covering them from the sides and their multi-cam uniforms helped them blend in perfectly with the surrounding trees and bushes. One would have to look really hard in order to spot them.

"This really is a nice place."

"It's more than just nice, Selina. It's beautiful and the air is so refreshing," Bruce said.

"Is this your first time being on a nature trail, Selina?" Agent Hayes asked.

"Yeah, my mother and I were never really the outgoing types. Mostly because she was too busy with work. I'm not real eager to talk about her, so let's just discuss something else like why do people go on nature trails anyway?"

"People come out here for various reasons, Selina. To explore, observe wildlife, or just to spend some time away from the crowds.

"This sure does seem like the perfect place for those activities."

Bruce looked over to the left and noticed something moving under the brush.

"I think I just saw something move low to the ground under the brush."

"It was more than likely a snake, Bruce," Hayes commented.

"Snakes? Your booklet didn't say anything about snakes at this location."

"Relax, Selina. There are no dangerous snakes here. Now if we were up in the White Mountains, it would be a different story."

"What kind of snakes are up there, Ashley?"

"Rattlers, but the ones we are likely to see down here are just Garter Snakes and Milk Snakes. They're harmless to us."

"Garter Snakes do have venom, but it's too weak to harm a human and Garters tend to deliver it through a chewing motion."

"Well that's good to know, my billionaire snake expert. Since you know so much about snakes, which one has the most deadliest venom?"

"That would be the Blue Krait. Its neurotoxic venom is sixteen times more powerful than that of a cobra which has the same type of venom. If the bite goes untreated, death usually occurs within four to five hours. Another thing that makes its venom so deadly is that even if anti-venom is administered, you might not bounce back a hundred percent from the bite," Bruce explained.

"So besides killing you in a matter of hours, what else can its venom do?"

"It can cause flaccid paralysis which means loss of some muscular functions, but the worst effect is respiratory failure which is how a neurotoxin really kills you."

"And what kind of venom does a rattlesnake have?" Selina asked.

"Hemotoxic which means it mainly works by destroying skin tissue and organs. It can be easily treated with anti-venom, but neurotoxic venom is considered the most deadliest of the two."

"Should I be worried about Kraits in New Hampshire or anywhere else in the country?"

"No, Blue Kraits tend to reside in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Nepal," Hayes replied.

"Well they can stay there as far as I'm concerned and the rattlers can have the White Mountains to themselves too," Selina said indicating that those mountains would be one part of the state they would not be traveling to.

After walking a few more miles, Selina decided to run towards one of the trees.

"What are you doing, Cat?"

"What does it look like, Ashley? I'm going to climb this tree and Bruce, I'm challenging you to beat me to the spot in the middle.

Never being the one to pass up a challenge from Selina, Bruce runs towards the tree as Selina started climbing.

She made it to the spot with no problem, but it was somewhat of a struggle for Bruce. The spot was big enough for both of them so he had no problem getting into it.

"You really need to brush up on your tree climbing skills, B," Selina said with a smile.

"I haven't climbed a tree since the last time I went camping with my parents. Seeing you do it makes it look easy."

"It's the cat in me and you should really check out these binoculars, the resolution on them is impressive."

"Let me see," Bruce said then Selina handed them to him and he looked through the lenses. "You're right these things are much better than the pair I have back at my house."

"You see anything interesting?"

"Two things actually. The first is this eagle circling around the in distance," Bruce replied then turned back towards Selina. "And then there's you."

Seeing the lenses moving outwards, Selina pulled the binoculars out of his hands.

"No point in zooming in on me, Bruce. I'm sitting right in front of you."

"I know, I was just…"

"Trying to be silly. Whatever, it's cool. So what's next after this?"

"I was thinking we could head to the sanctuary's bird house and get up close with the eagles, hawks, owls, and falcons."

"Okay, and I think you should take a picture with one of them on your wrist. It would make for one badass photo.

"Don't worry, I will."

Selina smiled then gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"So how are you two doing up there?" Agent Hayes asked over the Bluetooth in Selina's ear.

"We're just chilling, Ashely. Bruce wants to go the bird house when we come down."

"Great, I always wanted to see birds of prey up close."

AN. I did some research on venomous snakes while I was writing this chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

It was nearly noon by the time Agent Hayes, Bruce, and Selina reached the birdhouse. Their security team was still concealed in the nearby bushes, but they were more than ready to pop out in the event of a problem.

The trio approached the entrance and were greeted by the person in charge.

"Welcome visitors, I'm Peter. The bird keeper of this facility."

"Thank you, Peter. I'm Agent Hayes of the FBI and this is Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle."

"Mr. Wayne, it's an honor to meet you sir. I saw your second press conference in Gotham on television a few weeks ago, that was a very impressive speech."

"Thank you sir, but we're more interested in checking out the birds than discussing recent conflicts," Bruce politely replied.

"Very well, follow me."

They go inside and see eight cages housing various birds of prey. The cages were of a decent size so the birds had plenty of space to spread their wings.

"Do you ever let the birds out to fly around?" Selina asked.

"Yeah, we let them out one at a time for a few hours a day so they can get some decent flight time. Before we send them out we always put an electronic device around their feet so can call them back with no problems.

"Have there been any issues with them and the wild birds?"

"Nah, we've trained these birds no to stray too far from the house. So which one do you want to know about first?"

Bruce pointed to one of the owls in the cage and Peter put on one of the specialized gloves before retrieving it from the cage.

"This one here is called the Grey Horned Owl, one of many bird species you can find here in our beautiful state as well as all over North America and some parts of South America too. Owls are mostly nocturnal, but sometimes they do come out during the day.

"Owls must go after some good sized animals. Those talons sure aren't there for show," Selina commented.

"The main prey animals for owls are rabbits, hares, rodents, and even other birds. In some instances, they've been known to prey on skunks and small house pets."

"A skunk would make for a very disgusting meal."

"I agree Selina, but owls have one advantage that we humans don't."

"And what would that be?"

"Lacking a sense of smell. A skunk could gave an owl a face full of spray and it'll just keep on coming."

"Now I know what kind of animal to call if I start having skunk problems."

"But we don't have skunks back in Gotham, Selina," Bruce said.

"Well if they do show up, we'll just call in some owls."

"Mr. Peter. I would like to hold it on my wrist for a minute.

"Sure, but first you're gonna need…"

"I already got him covered," Hayes said as she got a pair of gloves from one of the boxes on the desk.

After putting them on, Bruce extended his right arm for the owl to land on.

The owl let out a hoot as it looked at Hayes and Selina.

"That bird sure looks good on ya, B. Ashley, this is the perfect time for a snapshot."

"Oh yeah," Hayes replied then pulled out her cellphone.

After turning off the flash so as not to startle the bird, she told Bruce to smile then took the picture.

Selina went over to the other side of the room and approached the cage of another owl.

"This one looks different than the one Bruce just had."

"That's because it's the Eurasian Eagle-Owl. Unlike the Grey Horned Owl, this one is native to parts of Europe and Asia," Peter explained.

Suddenly, Selina started to hoot at the bird as though she was trying to have a conservation with it, but the owl just stared at her as she kept hooting.

"What are you trying to do?" Hayes asked.

"I'm trying to tell the owl how cute and rich Bruce Wayne is, but it doesn't seem to think he's very interesting."

"It might find me more interesting if I was a bunny rabbit."

"Yeah, as in something interesting to eat," Hayes pointed out.

Selina turned back to the Eagle-Owl and told it that Bruce Wayne was not on the menu today, all in hoots of course.

Bruce joined Selina at the cage and the bird responded by lowering its head ruffling its back feathers.

"Why is this thing giving Bruce a hard stare?" Selina asked.

"That's its threat posture, they tend to do that when they feel threatened or in this case annoyed by young billionaires," Hayes replied.

"Let's go look at one more bird," Bruce said then they backed away from the cage and turned their attention to one of the falcons.

"This bird seems to have a much better temperament," Selina commented.

"A Peregrine Falcon, one of my favorite birds," Hayes said.

"And with a top speed of two-hundred miles per hour, it's the fastest flying bird in the world. Peregrine Falcons hunt other birds and bats for food and their favorite attack method is to dive down on their prey and catch it in midair," Peter explained.

"Falcons must have a very high success rate when it comes to catching their prey."

"They most certainly do, Bruce," Hayes replied.

"I would love to have this bird on my wrist for another photo."

"Certainly Mr. Wayne," Peter replied then got the bird out of the cage for Bruce.

With the falcon in place, Hayes pulled out her phone again and took the picture.

"Well I think I just found my second favorite bird," Bruce commented.

After putting the falcon back in the cage, Bruce thanked Peter for showing them the birds.

"You're welcome, Mr. Wayne. Oh, and can I have your autograph before you go?"

"Sure Mr. Peter."

"Peter grabbed a piece of paper from his desk for Bruce to sign and before he knew it, Peter had his first autograph from Bruce Wayne.

The trio bid farewell to Peter and headed back to their vehicle.

Halfway to the exit, the security team emerged from cover and formed up around them.

"You guys did a great job keeping us covered during our visit."

"You took the words right out of my mouth, Selina," Hayes said.

Agent Marvin gave a nod to Selina as they reached the convoy.

"Bruce, Selina, and Hayes, got back into their vehicle and Selina decided to sit next to Bruce in the back.

"So where to now, kids?"

"Since it's noon, I think we should stop somewhere for lunch."

"Good idea Bruce, I'm starving."

"So am I, Selina. I know of a place in town that has the best barbecue," Hayes replied.

"Let's go check it out," Selina said.

Hayes smiled at her enthusiasm and started the engine.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5.

Smokeshow Barbeque

1:00PM

Shortly after entering the restaurant, Agent Hayes, Bruce, and Selina were guided to their table by the receptionist and two members of their security team armed with M4-A1s took up positions close by and had a good view of the entrance to their section of the restaurant.

There were two more agents positioned at the entrance and two more right outside tasked with searching customers before they entered.

Hayes also had the eighteen additional agents that rode in the other vehicles take up positions around the building too.

Many people were surprised by the presence of heavily armed feds but after being told that they were providing security for Bruce Wayne, what little anxiety there was quickly evaporated.

One minute later, a waitress approached their table.

"Good afternoon, my name is Madison and I will be your server today. Can I start you guys off with some appetizers or anything to drink?"

"Some cornbread would be nice and I would like a pink lemonade," Bruce said.

Selina opted for a Pepsi and Agent Hayes picked water.

"Great I will be back with your drinks and some cornbread," Madison replied then walked off.

"Did you just see the way she looked at Bruce before walking away?" Selina whispered.

"I sure did, Selina. You really are a chick magnet, Bruce."

"I'm well aware of that, Ashley. But my love and loyalty is to Selina and Selina only."

To further solidify his point Bruce turned to Selina and kissed her on the cheek.

She blushed for a moment then snapped back to her more serious demeanor.

"That's all well and good, but we still need to make sure that she understands that too, I think a message needs to be sent."

"Easy Selina, if the situation needs handling, we'll handle it. The right way of course.

"Okay then," Selina replied then went back to reading the menu.

Two minutes later, Madison returned with their drinks and cornbread and asked if they were ready to order.

"I'll have plate of brisket," Hayes said.

Bruce placed his menu back on the table and told Madison that he would like a full order of ribs.

"Ditto," Selina added.

"Great. We you like to add on any sides? We got cream corn, mac n cheese, Potato Salad, baked beans, and coleslaw.

Selina stated that the ribs would be more than enough for her but Bruce chose the mac and cheese and Hayes picked the coleslaw.

"Okay, your orders will be ready within ten to fifteen minutes," Madison replied then collected the menus and walked away.

"She seems like a nice waitress," Bruce commented."

"She does, and I just ran her name through the NSA database on my phone. Her full name is Madison Soledad, she's eighteen years old and lives at 832 Myers Street in this city with her mom and dad."

"Is there any dirt on her record?" Selina asked.

"None, her record is cleaner than ivory snow. Well as far as the government is concerned. Same goes for the parents.

Selina looked at the area around their table and noticed that everyone else was either engaging in small talk or minding their own business as they ate their meals.

"I'm surprised that no one is staring at us."

"I think the fact that we have armed security around us may have something to do with that," Hayes said.

"What do you mean?" Bruce asked.

"People tend to keep their distance around those covered by security, especially those with security that is the equivalent of a small army."

"Or maybe being Bruce Wayne doesn't mean much around these parts. It's not like you're a resident of this city," Selina commented.

"True, but my name meant enough to get at least one autograph request from that bird keeper."

"Yeah, but the one thing that has me worried is what if more people start wanting your autograph. A big crowd would pose a serious security problem," Hayes said.

"We don't give them a chance to bunch up around Bruce, we make them form a single file line, so your men can have an easier time monitoring them.

"Great idea, Selina. With brawn and brains like yours, you would make a perfect federal agent."

"Gee thanks, Agent Hayes. But I think I'm more effective without a badge than with one. Besides, no one else can watch the streets of Gotham on Bruce's behalf without raising eyebrows like I can."

"If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't've known that Thomas was gunning for me until it was too late. The main reason why I devote my love to her is because I believed she has earned it and no other girl on this planet will ever change that. Ever."

"I don't think any other girl but Selina is worthy of your love and devotion either, Bruce," Hayes replied.

Minutes later, Madison returned with their meals and told them to enjoy.

The main focus now was feasting.

"Wow, these ribs are delicious," Selina said.

"Is this your first time having barbecue?" Hayes asked.

"Yeah, and I love the way the meat falls off the bones. You know Bruce, maybe you should host a barbecue at your house someday."

"I could, but it would be a pretty small gathering. Beyond you, Alfred Detectives Gordon and Bullock, and Lucius Fox, I don't know who else I would invite.

"What about George and our FBI buddies like Baldwin and Hayes here?"

"I would invite them too, but I understand that federal business might have them occupied elsewhere."

"If we found out you were hosting a barbecue, we would move heaven and Earth to get there on time."

"Eight people wouldn't be too small of a crowd. I think it would be perfect," Selina replied then grabbed a piece of cornbread.

They continued on with their rest of their meals in silence then after finishing off their drinks, they were done.

"Ashley, I can pay for all of us if you want."

"That's real sweet of you, Bruce. But it's only fitting that I pay for it since I picked this place."

"Maybe next time, B," Selina said as Madison returned with the receipt.

"So was everything Ok?"

"It most certainly was, Madison," Hayes replied then Madison showed her the bill.

Hayes pulled out thirty-three dollars from her wallet along with a few more for the tip.

"Thank you very much ma'am and thank you for coming to Smokehouse Barbecue, may you all have a wonderful day.

"You as well, ma'am," Bruce politely replied then they got up and left with their team.

Hayes summoned the other agents back to their vehicles as they walked out the door.

With everyone was back in their vehicles, the convoy was once again back on the road.

AN. Smokeshow Barbecue is an actual restaurant in Concord, New Hampshire.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6.

The convoy of five Chevy Tahoes pulls up in front of its next destination and Agent Marvin gets out of the third vehicle and heads into the building with his team right behind him.

After doing a quick sweep of the area, Marvin activates his radio.

"Agent Hayes this is Marvin, the entrance is clear. I repeat, the entrance is clear."

"Copy that, we're coming in, Hayes replied, then turned to Bruce and Selina. "Welcome to the Steeple Gate mall, kids."

"Great, now we can get on with Operation Upgrade Bruce's Wardrobe," Selina said.

"As I have said before, my wardrobe is perfectly fine."

"True, but you like you're going to a job interview or something. Adding some casual attire to your style isn't going to hurt."

"Cat's right, Bruce," Hayes commented as they walked up the stairs.

Upon walking through the doors, they saw that apart from them and Agent Marvin's team, they were the only ones in the mall and around them were a lot of closed stores.

"If I knew better, I'd say we were back in Gotham with the way this place looks," Selina commented.

"At least they still do a good job of keeping the floors clean. There's a JC Penny not far from here, let's go," Hayes said then Marvin's team formed up around them.

"This place should be teeming with people, what happened to all of these stores?"

"They couldn't get enough business to stay open, so they simply closed down and went away. Shame really, this place use to be really great.

"What about the food court, Ashley?" Bruce asked.

"This place use to have one, but all they got now is a Dunkin Donuts and a pretzel stand."

"I'm still full from that barbecue lunch, so I'll pass on both of those places," Selina commented.

After a few more minutes of walking, they arrived at the JC Penny which was surprisingly void of customers and the shelves were a mix between barely stocked and completely empty.

Something tells me that this place is well on its way to becoming just like the other stores in this place," Agent Marvin said.

"Well I'm still going to see if I can find something."

"Have fun with that, Bruce. I'm going to do some exploring. See you later."

Before Selina could run off, Hayes told Marvin and two other agents to go with her then turned back to Bruce.

"Alright B, let's start browsing."

"You're the third person to call me by the first letter of my name."

"And let me guess, your girlfriend was the first?"

"Yes then Alfred started saying it, but he still addresses me as Master Bruce for the most part. In the early days of my relationship with Selina, she would sometimes address me as kid or kiddo."

"Sounds similar to what I went through when I started working at the bureau. I was frequently called probie which is short probationary agent. A term that is applied to all rookie agents. You wanna know what they call rookie fighter pilots?"

"What?"

"Nuggets."

"Perhaps I was the nugget in Selina's eyes when I first met her. Not only has she saved my life on multiple occasions, but my street smarts were greatly increased thanks to her as well.

Bruce and Hayes continued their walk through the store, but so far Bruce hadn't spotted anything of interest.

Meanwhile, Selina was having the time of her life doing a series of backflips down the hallway. Since she left JC Penny with her escorts, they had only spotted one other person in the mall, a security guard who seemed bored out of his mind.

"Agent Marvin, this is Hayes. What's your status?"

"Agent Marvin here, we're good. Selina is really enjoying having the whole mall to herself."

"I can imagine, what is she doing exactly?"

"Doing a series of backflips down the hallway. Her athleticism is impressive, but man is she hell to keep up with."

"Maybe you guys would be quicker if you weren't laden down with so much tactical gear," Selina commented.

"We will continue to stay close to her ma'am."

"Copy Marvin, Hayes out."

Selina came to a stop at a stairway and just when Marvin and his men were about to catch up to her, she hopped onto the railing and slid down.

After her brief slide, she continued on for a few more feet then came to a stop at an abandoned mop bucket.

Sensing the feds running up behind her, Selina raised her fist as a signal to halt.

"You see anything wrong with this picture, Agent Marvin?"

"Yeah, a janitor would never leave their mop and bucket unattended, and where is the janitor anyway?"

"Maybe he had to make a run to the restroom sir," Agent Stonewall said.

"Hmm, the restrooms are right down the hall on our right. You and Lopez check it out."

"Yes sir."

Back at the store, Bruce still hadn't found anything he liked. Since their arrival, only two other people had shown up and left after seeing the slim pickings.

Agent Hayes, maybe we should try another store or a different mall altogether."

"Not a problem Bruce, I'll have Agent Marvin and…"

Before she could finish, Selina's voice came over her earpiece.

"Agent Hayes, this is Cat. We need you to meet us at the restrooms on the second floor right now."

"Roger that, we're on our way. Bruce, let's go."

One minute later, Hayes, Bruce, and the other three members of their team arrived at Marvin's location.

"What happened, Selina?" Bruce asked

"Somebody killed the janitor and stuffed him in one of the stalls in the men's room."

Bruce and Hayes go in to take a look at the man and found him in the second stall with big gash on his head.

"Judging by the head injury I'd say the cause of death was severe blunt force trauma."

"Well that didn't take long," Selina said as she walked in.

"What are you talking about?"

"You going into detective mode."

"Well this restroom is now a crime scene. I'll call Concord PD and have them come and clean this up. In the meantime, we'll seal this area off until they arrive."

"We'll leave you to it," Bruce replied then he and Selina left the restroom as Hayes pulled out her phone.

After completing her call, she walked out and announced that the cops would arrive in ten minutes.

Ten minutes later, the cops were on site and the job of perimeter security was turned over to them as their CSI team got to work.

"I never thought I would see the day where I would be thanking feds for anything. But Agent Hayes, you and your team have my thanks for securing the crime scene for us," Detective Rivers said

"We feds aren't so bad now are we?"

"Don't flatter yourself ma'am, I still remember what happened last time I met you guys at a crime scene."

"What happened?" Bruce asked.

"We were in the midst taking statements from witnesses at a bank that got robbed when the FBI rolled up in their black SUVs and unceremoniously kicked me and my fellow officers off the premises and took over. It was one of the worst days of my life."

"My heart bleeds for you, Detective," Selina nonchalantly commented.

"I bet it does," Rivers thought to himself.

"Since you got everything in hand here, we'll be moving on," Hayes said then told her team to form up and they walked away as two CSIs hauled out the body in a bag on the gurney.

"This mall may've been a bust, Bruce. But the mission is still on."

"But we're gonna have to find another mall."

"The mall of New Hampshire is in much better shape than this place, but it's eighteen miles away in Manchester."

"I don't mind taking a little road trip," Bruce said.

"Neither do I," Selina added.

"Okay, but the risk factor will be increased since there will be a lot more people around."

"I'm not worried, Agent Hayes. The presence of our security team and their big guns should be more than enough to discourage any troublemakers."

"And you can add me to the list of deterrents too, Bruce. Since there is going to be an increased risk factor, I'm going to grab a vest and helmet when we get out to the convoy."

"Your tenacity never ceases to amaze me, Selina," Bruce replied.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Mall of New Hampshire

Manchester, New Hampshire

Shortly after arriving, Agent Marvin and his team along with Bruce, gathered around Agent Hayes for the briefing.

"So far our security operation for Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle has been going well. But unlike the Steeple gate mall back in Concord, this one is packed with people judging by the amount of cars in parking lot. When we get inside, we will maintain a tight perimeter around our VIPs to ensure that no one gets any funny ideas."

"I think you mean VIP since Bruce is the only going in unarmed, Selina said as she came from around one of the Tahoes wearing a vest and helmet and packing a P-90.

"Selina, I thought you were only getting a vest and helmet," Bruce commented.

"And then it dawned on me that having seven big guns in your corner is better than six plus my pistol and trusty knife."

Selina pulled her knife from one of her vest pockets and flicked it open for all to see.

"Nice blade, I got a nice little knife collection back at the house," Hayes said.

"I wouldn't mind checking it out," Selina replied.

"Okay, we stick together and nobody fires unless I give the order, understood?"

"With a quick nod from everyone, the group proceeded towards the entrance.

"And where did you get that gun from?"

"From a concealed compartment in the back of our vehicle. You didn't know that government vehicles tend to have those sort of things? You still got a long way to go before you can be the words greatest detective."

They walked in to the sight of a bustling crowd. Their arrival did draw a few glances from some people and even though they had a pretty good idea who the boy in the middle of the group was, the presence of the feds and Selina discouraged them from venturing any closer.

"So what store are we going to first?" Selina asked.

"We're halfway to the JC Penny," Hayes replied.

"I guess were heading there then," Bruce said.

They walked into the store and the selection of clothes was much bigger than the one at the mall back in Concord and there was a decent amount of customers present too.

"Alright B, your shopping spree begins now. Just remember that we're adding some normal people clothes to your wardrobe, not that uptight business stuff you wear so much."

"Right."

After the little pep talk from Selina, Bruce got right work. The first things he picked out were some blue jeans and some plain long sleeved shirts of five different colors, grey, green, purple, blue, and black.

He went into the dressing room to try them on and walked out for the final judgment from Selina which came in the form of a thumbs up or down.

Thankfully he received a thumbs every time he walked out of the dressing room, but Selina saw a little bit of room for improvement.

"You're going to need some normal shoes to go with those clothes, Bruce."

"I think I just found the perfect pair for him," Agent Hayes said as she came running over with a box of Nikes.

"Good thinking, Ashley," Selina commented as Hayes handed them to Bruce who didn't bother going back into the dressing room to try them on, he just sat the box on the floor and changed into them on the spot.

"Hmm, this pair is a keeper. But how did you know they would fit me, Ashley?"

"Call it a woman's intuition, B."

"I see. Uh, would it be too much trouble to ask for some help carrying all of this stuff?"

"I got an even better idea, I'll take this stuff to the counter and wait for you to complete the rest of your shopping spree."

"I'm only going to get one more item and then we'll be done," Bruce replied.

"Okay. Selina, how would you like to take point for a while?"

"Sure, as long as Agent Marvin and his men don't have an issue with it."

"No Argument here, ma'am," Marvin replied.

Hayes smiled then walked away with the clothes and the box of shoes.

"Everybody form up on Bruce and keep a sharp eye out for any jerks trying run up on us and our VIB."

"VIB?" Bruce asked.

"Very Important Billionaire, now let's go," Selina replied then the group got moving.

Bruce led them to a section of the store that had the hoodies of various football teams.

"Do you see anything here that peaks your interest?" Selina asked.

Bruce went over to one of the racks and grabbed a hoodie with the emblem of the Atlanta Falcons on it.

"What do you think of this one, Selina?"

"There's a black one to your left that I think is much better. Red is hardly a fitting color for you, B."

"Fair enough."

With the more fitting Falcons hoodie acquired, Bruce and the team rejoined Hayes at the counter where Bruce paid for his items VIA his own credit card and then they were on their way back to the convoy. Bruce had to carry his own bags of course.

By the time they were back outside, the sun was starting to set.

"Is it just me or has this day gone by fast?"

"Time flies when you're having fun, Bruce," Agent Marvin commented

"It's fair to say that Operation Upgrade Bruce's Wardrobe is a total success," Selina said.

"And ensuring Bruce's safety in the mall was a success too. And you did a great job while you were on point, Selina."

"Thanks, Ashley," Selina replied.

Marvin's team returned to their vehicle as Bruce placed his shopping bags in the trunk. Selina opted to hold on to her tactical gear and P-90 until they were back at the cabin.

With everyone ready, the convoy began the long drive back to Concord.

"So I was thinking that we could have some cheeseburgers for dinner tonight. Are you okay with that?" Agent Hayes asked.

"Sure, why wouldn't we. Your cooking is great."

"Honestly Ashley, I would rate it second to Alfred's."

"I appreciate the sentiment, Bruce."

"Brownnoser,"

"I'm not brownnosing, Selina. I really mean it."

"I'm just messing with you, Bruce. Just sit back and enjoy the ride."


	8. Chapter 8

.Chapter 8

Bruce opened his eyes and found himself back on the couch in the cabin with Selina sitting next to him.

"Well hello there sleeping cutie."

"How did I end up back here?"

"We drove back from Manchester, duh."

"I meant back here on the couch, Selina."

"Oh, you fell asleep during the ride. We tried waking you when we got home but when you didn't respond to our attempts, Agent Hayes decided to simply carry you into the house while I got your bags out the trunk. There in our room in case you're wondering."

"Where is Agent Hayes now?"

"She's cooking burgers and fries for us in the kitchen."

Bruce sat up and saw what appeared to be a riot on the television.

"Hmm, what are those people angry about?" Bruce asked.

"Their beloved Toronto Maple Leafs lost to the Vancouver Canucks seven to two, and now the whole city is getting burned to the ground. Well not the whole city, but it's bad enough for the riot cops to come out in full force."

"I don't blame them for being upset about their team losing, but looting stores, flipping cars, throwing punches, and setting fires is not the answer."

"Maybe you should go into the middle of that shit-storm and tell them yourself."

Bruce fantasized about the idea in his mind for a moment, but the news footage was more than enough to snap him back to reality.

"I would rather throw down with Sonny again than jump into the middle of that."

"Canadians and their love of hockey. I will never understand why they get so bent out of shape over a loss and they sometimes riot when they win too." Agent Hayes said as she walked into the living room. "I'm glad you're awake Bruce, I was kinda worried that you were gonna sleep through dinner."

"I got a pretty good rest during the ride, so I'm wide awake now. How much longer until they are ready?"

"Just a few more minutes."

"Selina said you carried me into the house after you two couldn't wake me."

"Yeah, I did. You are one helluva of a heavy sleeper to not feel someone picking you up, let alone shaking you and talking into your ear."

"Next time Ashley, I say we go for the ice cold water method and if a bucket of water with ice doesn't do the trick we'll commandeer a dump truck, load it with ice cold water and use that on him."

"Uh Selina, you do realize that I'm sitting right next to you and can hear everything you're saying?"

"And since when has that ever stopped me from drawing up devious plans involving your cute rich butt?"

Hayes chuckled as Bruce struggled to come up with a witty comeback, but he was saved by the timer going off in the kitchen.

"Dinner time kids, Hayes said then she ran into the kitchen to grab the burgers and fries from the oven.

The trio quickly prepared their plates and took their seats at the table.

"So Ashley, are you a sports fan by any chance?" Bruce asked.

"As a matter of fact, I am."

"Which team?"

"The Denver Broncos. The Denver field office was my first post after graduation and one day I caught a glimpse of them on TV in the breakroom playing the Oakland Raiders and I was so impressed with their performance, I declared myself a Broncos fan for life."

After taking another bite out of his burger, Bruce asked about the final outcome of the game.

"They creamed the Raiders thirty-four to seventeen."

"These Broncos sound like they're a very powerful team," Selina commented.

"They most certainly are, you should really check out their defense, they're nothing short of difference makers for the team."

"Maybe I will if they happen to have a game on during our vacation Selina replied then shoved half her fries into her mouth.

Hayes pulled out her cellphone and brought up the Broncos schedule.

"It looks like we're in luck because they got a match this Thursday night on ESPN."

Against who?" Bruce asked.

Hayes formed a devilish grin before giving Bruce the answer.

"Why none other than your newly beloved Atlanta Falcons, Bruce."

Selina quickly finished her burger then added her two cents on the matter.

"I already have a prediction for the outcome. Bruce, your Falcons are going to get blown out so badly that you're going to be feeling buyers remorse over that hoodie."

"Are the Falcons playing at Denver's stadium?"

"The Broncos will be traveling to Atlanta to play them."

"There is room for hope, Selina. Since Atlanta will be playing on home turf, I give them a seventy percent chance of winning against the Broncos."

"I admire your sense of confidence, Bruce. But I'm telling you that your team is gonna go down in flames and your misplaced confidence is going to join them."

"We'll see," Bruce replied then gulped down his cup of orange juice.

"So what can you tell us about Denver?"

"Besides being the home of my team, It's the capital of Colorado and a very beautiful city, Selina. There's plenty of sunshine, the people are mostly nice, every place has its fair share of bad apples, and the weather is fantastic, except in the winter time of course."

"Heavy snowfall?"

"Nah, it just gets bone chillingly cold. In terms of things to do, there's plenty of things like fishing, camping, canoeing, skydiving, and so on."

"Speaking of skydiving, we should really try doing that out of a helicopter tomorrow. I would also like to learn how to fly one too.

"Why the sudden interest in flying, Selina?" Bruce asked.

"It never hurts to acquire a new skillset and given that your fight or should I say our fight against Gotham's secret council is going to keep escalating, I think we should stock up on as many skills as possible. Not to mention that they might come in handy against some of the other freaky stuff we might face."

"Like more monsters from my company's basement."

"Exactly," Selina replied.

"I remember hearing about that Indian hill incident on the news. A mad scientist creating an army of super freaks and possessing a nuclear device, crazy stuff," Hayes said

"Gotham has no shortage of that, and remember when we encountered one of those Indian Hill freaks on our way to recover Bruce's stolen car?"

"How could I forget? And I also remember you and Bruce coming to the front of the convoy after I told you two to stay in the vehicle."

"Well we wanted to see the Ashley Hayes Special in action and we did. You were pretty badass with that M-32."

"I still have that image of you with that thing in my head," Bruce commented.

"I'm glad the impression still remains. But anyway I'll be sure to make arrangements for our little chopper adventure before I call it a night."

"Thanks Ashley," Selina replied.

One hour later, Bruce and Selina were ready for bed and Hayes walked into their room to check on them before going to bed herself.

"It looks like you two are nicely tucked in."

"Yep, and we're already looking forward to tomorrow," Selina replied.

"I'll see you two in the morning."

"Goodnight Ashley," Bruce and Selina said in unison.

Hayes couldn't help herself and turned back to kiss them on their foreheads.

"Goodnight my brave little rich boy and cat-girl."

Hayes turned out the lights and closed the door behind her.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Concord

Day three

6:34AM

Agent Hayes, Bruce, and Selina were standing on a baseball diamond in the middle of a park as they waited for the helicopter to arrive.

Since it was still early in the morning, they were the only ones present in the park. Most people were either still in bed or just getting their day started.

"How much longer until the chopper shows up, Ashley?" Selina asked.

"It should be here in the next five minutes."

"Ashley, there is something I wish to try later on today."

"And what would that be, Bruce?"

"I want to see if people are more likely to approach me if not covered by a heavily armed SWAT team. Agent Marvin and his men can still be present, but they will just have to cover me from a distance during the experiment."

"You do realize that you're basically asking me to let you gamble with your life, right? What if someone snatches you before we can respond?"

"Don't worry, Ashley I'll be right beside him during his crazy plan if you decide to give him the go ahead."

"I'll think it over during our flight. This is the tallest order you've asked of me thus far."

A few minutes later, a Blackhawk from the New Hampshire Army National Guard arrived overhead and touched down a few feet from them.

"That's our ride," Hayes said then they walked towards it.

Upon boarding it, they were greeted by a familiar face.

"Agent Hayes, Bruce, Cat, good morning."

"Good morning to you as well, Chief Warrant Officer Mullen," Hayes replied.

"Cat, I understand you want to learn how to fly a helicopter?"

"Yes."

"Well come on up to the cockpit, you're gonna be our pilot for this flight and I'll be right beside you to help you with the controls."

"Okay," Selina replied then walked up and grabbed a helmet that was waiting for her in the copilot seat.

After putting it on, she sat down and buckled up."

"So how do I get this thing off the ground?"

"You see that stick on your left?

"Yeah."

"Just pull it up and we'll be airborne."

"Okay, are you two ready in the back?"

"Affirmative, Selina," Hayes replied.

"Good, and remember that the barf bags are on the seatbacks in front of you."

With everyone set, Selina got the bird into the air.

"I already have a course set to Portsmouth, just follow the course on the screen and we'll get there just fine. Provided that no inflight emergencies come up."

"We'll be fine, Chief," Selina replied.

"I like your confidence, Cat. Now all you have to do is ease the throttle forward and we'll be on our way."

Selina did as instructed and got the chopper moving.

"Command, this is Helix 5-2. We are airborne and inbound to Portsmouth."

"Copy Helix, 5-2. Today's forecast is gonna be sunny and clear, how are you guest doing?"

"They're doing just fine. Selina, I mean Cat got us off the ground without incident."

"Solid copy, enjoy the rest of your flight. Command out."

"The sun is starting to rise," Bruce commented as he looked out to the left.

"Do you feel like taking a picture of it?" Hayes asked.

"No time like the present," Bruce replied with a smile then he pulled his camera out of his jacket pocket and took a picture.

After that, he wrapped his arm around Hayes and she leaned in close for the next photo.

Bruce set the timer and it counted down from three to zero then it flashed.

"How did it turn out?"

Bruce took a good look at the photo and was pleased with the result.

"It turned out perfectly, Ashely. Your smile looks great."

"Thank you Bruce, you have a great smile too."

"You know, I've been meaning to call Alfred to let him know that we're having a good time. Ever since our vacation started I've been feeling different."

"How so?" Hayes asked.

"For one I haven't been thinking about the things I usually think about like the corrupt dealings of my company, the troubles of Gotham, and the pursuit of those who arranged the deaths of my parents. Being here makes me feel like nothing else matters except Selina, you, and those tasked with guarding us."

"That's what vacations are really about, Bruce. The escape from the muck of our daily lives."

"The last time I took an actual vacation was when my parents were still alive. After they died, I felt myself morphing into isolationist but Selina's arrival changed all of that. I can't think of enough words to describe how thankful I am to have her in my life."

"The girl is a blessing, Bruce. Even if she does have to resort to underhanded means to survive on those mean streets back in Gotham.

"I hope to bring about the day where she no longer has to. At least not as much as she does now."

Surprisingly Selina was oblivious to their conservation, she was more focused on flying the machine and Mullen was impressed with how well she was doing.

"Cat, were you by any chance a pilot in a previous life?"

"Honestly, I'm not real big on that kind of stuff. The only life I'm concerned about is the one I currently live, and you can call me Selina as well if you want."

"Okay. So have you ever considered becoming a pilot be it in the military or the civilian sector?" Judging by the way you're flying right now, you would be really good at it.

"When you've been alone on the streets of Gotham for as long as I have, the only thing you think about is surviving to see the next day and the day after that and the day after that."

"Understandable."

"So how long have you been flying?"

"Four years going on five. The only missions I've flown with the guard have been disaster relief missions during hurricanes and floods."

"It must feel good to help people."

"It certainly does. But barring any states of emergency or training exercises, flying a transport chopper can be really boring. The Apache pilots on the other hand are the ones who get to have the real fun."

"Why's that?"

"Because Apaches are attack helicopters, Selina. They chew up bad guys like nobody else and they're pretty damn good at it. I've heard stories from Chinook and Blackhawk pilots who went on missions with the Apache escorts, they never got shot at once."

"Wow, these Apaches sound like fearsome aircraft. If I get a chance to take a closer look at them, I will.

"Believe me Selina, a girl like you would be extremely impressed," Mullen replied.

"Bruce, Ashely, how do you two think I'm doing?"

"You're doing a fantastic job," Bruce said.

"We haven't puked yet so I second that motion," Hayes commented.

"Hmm, for some reason, I thought you two would be more worried about crashing,"

"Nah, we got faith in you."

"Do you really mean that Ashley, or are you just saying that because Chief Warrant Officer Mullen is sitting next to me?

"I mean it a hundred percent, Selina. Unlike some of the people you may've dealt with back in Gotham, I would never lie to you or Bruce."

"I will hold you to that promise, Ashley."

"As will I," Bruce added

"Despite their calm tones, Agent Hayes could tell they were dead serious. But she wasn't worried, she was a woman of her word and she wasn't going to start breaking that.

After what felt like an eternity, they finally arrived over Portsmouth and flew a couple of wide orbits over the city.

A few seconds later, an overhead light started flashing.

"It looks like we're starting to get low on fuel, people. But not to worry, we're three minutes away from Pease Air National Guard Base."

"Will we make it there in time, Selina?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah, hang hold," Selina replied then banked the chopper to the left."

"So Mullen, why are the words United States Army written on the tail of your chopper instead of New Hampshire Army National Guard?" Selina asked.

"Because the National Guard is the reserve force of the main military. A sub component if you will. Every state has an army and air national guard that answers to their respective governors. If a state of emergency became severe enough, we could be federalized by the guys in Washington and fall under the command of the main army. The Air Force would have the same control over the Air National Guard units in the event of federalization too."

They arrived over the base and with a little help from Mullen, Selina set the bird on the ground and powered down the engines.

After the rotors came to a stop, they got out as a fuel truck arrived. Mullen informed them of their fuel status shortly after the emergency light came on.

As the fueling nozzle was connected to the helicopter, a guy dressed in a flight suit walked up to the group.

"Good morning guys, I'm Captain Lonnie of the 64th Air Refueling Squadron."

"So you're the leader of the force of the flying gas stations?"

"Yes, and who are you?"

"I am Selina kyle of Gotham. This is Agent Ashely Hayes of the FBI and this boy right here is the best thing to ever come out of that rotten city, my oh so cute and loving billionaire boyfriend Bruce Wayne," Selina replied with a grin as she wrapped her arms around Bruce.

"Nice to meet you Captain," Bruce said as he shook his hand.

"Same here, Mr. Wayne. I saw you on the news when you gave that speech about hunting down your traitorous brother, did you get him?"

We did, but then he escaped when a group of mercs attacked the convoy that was preparing to take him to his final destination. But we'll get him again."

"You got right, Bruce," Hayes replied. "Captain, would you be willing to give these kids a tour of one of your planes while I go and get some parachutes?" We're gonna go skydiving when our chopper is ready."

"Certainly, Agent Hayes. Bruce, Selina, please follow me."

They went over to the tarmac where four of the KC-135 Stratotankers were parked and boarded the nearest one.

"This plane is based off the design of the Boeing 367-80 which was a prototype plane built back in 1954 to demonstrate the benefits of jet propulsion for commercial planes."

"Did it ever go beyond the prototype stage?" Bruce asked.

"No, but its design found new life in the form of this baby. It has gone through a lot of variants over the years and the one we're standing on right now is the R variant."

They continued on to the back of the plane where they found the area Lonnie called the workstation.

"Looks small" Selina commented.

"True, but the boom operators never complain. This is area where are main business is carried out. The planes come up to us and we extend the boom or drogue depending on which aircraft type and give them the fuel so they can continue on with their missions or get back their bases or carriers."

"I find the ability to refuel in midair extremely impressive. How many refueling operations have you overseen from this plane?"

"Over the past six years I've been flying, a few thousand tops. Say, where's your girlfriend?"

"What?" Bruce replied then looked back only to discover that she was gone.

"Captain?" a voice shouted loudly.

"At least she's still on the plane," Bruce commented.

"She's up in the cockpit, let's go," Lonnie replied.

Bruce and Captain Lonnie run up to cockpit where they find Selina standing between the seats tapping her right foot impatiently.

"This was going to be the next stop on the tour, but it looks like you beat us to it. What's the problem?

"I just have one question for you, Captain. Where do you store the cash on this plane?"

"I'm sorry, but the U.S. Air Force only accepts credit cards."

"I'm… surprised you didn't know that, Selina," Bruce said with a slight chuckle.

Selina responded with a stink face and sensing what was about to come next, Lonnie stood to the side.

"Credit cards are the bane of my life," Selina shouted then shoved through Bruce and stormed off the plane."

"I take it she's quite a handful for ya Mr. Wayne?"

"She has her moments, but I wouldn't trade her for the world or anything else for that matter.

"I wish you all the luck in the world with her, kid. I think you're really going to need it."

"Just another normal day on planet Bruce, Captain."

"Hey Bruce, we're ready to go. So get your ass down here and put on your parachute," Selina shouted through a megaphone.

"It looks like I have to leave, but I wish to take a picture with you before I go."

"Not a problem Bruce," Lonnie replied then Bruce pulled out his camera, stood next to Lonnie and took the photo.

"Thank you for the tour, Captain."

"You're welcome, Mr. Wayne. Enjoy the rest of your day."

Somewhere near Concord

Several minutes later

We're twenty seconds out from the jump point, are you guys ready? Mullen asked.

"Yeah, we're ready," Selina replied as Agent Hayes hung up her phone.

"I just spoke to Agent Marvin, our convoy is standing by on the roadside."

"We're almost there," Mullen said

Hayes performed one final safety check on Bruce and Selina's chute bags and they were both good to go, so they formed up near the open door on the right side. Bruce and Selina would jump first then Hayes would follow.

"A little more and… go, go, go," Mullen shouted.

The trio jumped out the helicopter in rapid succession and began their rapid descent from eight-hundred feet.

At two-hundred feet, Hayes gave the signal to pull and the trio opened their chutes.

Bruce drifted a little off course but he was in no real danger considering that the only thing waiting below was grass and a couple of bushes.

Agent Hayes and Selina touched the ground first then Bruce landed a few seconds later.

Selina removed her chute and ran over to Hayes.

"Was that an awesome jump or what, Ashley?"

"You damn right it was, Selina. But if we do this again, we're gonna jump from a plane at a much higher altitude.

"I am so down for that, no height is too high for us."

"Count me in two," Bruce said excitedly as he ran up to them with Agent Marvin behind him holding his M4.

"Hey Ashley, you know what this calls for?"

"I sure do Selina, a celebratory photo. Bruce, bring it in."

Bruce took out his camera once again and handed it to Marvin before Hayes and Selina pulled him into the spot between them.

Bruce felt like he was being squeezed since they were bunched up so tightly around him, but he was feeling way too alive to complain.

"Ready, Marvin asked.

"Just one more adjustment," Selina replied then planted her lips on Bruce's cheek causing him to blush.

"Marvin smiled then took the picture and gave the camera back to Bruce who in turn looked the photo over.

He was very pleased with the way it turned out, especially with Selina kissing him.

Marvin had no problem taking the picture since his gun was connected to a shoulder strap.

"So what's next, boss?" Marvin asked.

"Bruce wants to see if people are more likely to approach him if he's not covered by security. In plain sight anyway."

"I was thinking we could do it at one of the parks in the city."

"Okay Bruce, but we will swoop in at the first sign of trouble."

"Understood Agent Hayes."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Valerie Gate Hotel

Concord

12:15PM

Agent Hayes walked into the room with Agents Marvin and Stonewall behind her. They were going to be in an over watch position during Bruce's experiment in the park across the street.

"Set up shop at the window, boys," Hayes ordered as she set a case on the bed.

After placing his M4 against the wall near his soon to be position, he popped the case open and pulled out the A3G sniper rifle within. Agent Stonewall would serve as his spotter and he already had his binoculars at the ready.

"Is spot good enough, Marvin?" Hayes asked.

"Yes ma'am, and I already got eyes on Bruce. He's sitting on a park bench awaiting your signal."

"I knew I picked the right spot for us," Hayes replied then activated her headset. "Control here, I am in position with sniper team one, all other teams report in."

"Team two in position."

"Team three in position."

"Team four in position."

"Team five at the ready."

"Team six ready."

"Team seven ready."

Team eight ready."

"Cat Zero-One, what's your status?"

"I am in a concealed location within the park. Bruce doesn't know It, but I already got eyes on him."

"There's a lot of people in the area, try not to lose him when he starts moving."

"Fear not, Control. Working crowds is what I do best, next to stealing wallets of course," Selina whispered into her Bluetooth

"Well try not to steal any during this mission," Hayes replied then switched to another frequency. "Bruce, can you hear me?"

"Yes Control."

"Perfect, you may begin the experiment."

Bruce got off the bench and began to walk around.

Two kids ran past him and their mother wasn't too far behind. He looked around him and saw people immersed in various activities such as having picnics, watching their children play on the playground, or just idly chilling.

His phone goes off and he pulls it out of his pocket.

Seeing Alfred's name on the screen, he quickly pressed the answer button.

"Hello."

"Hello Master Bruce, how are things for you and Miss Kyle up in the Granite State?"

"Perfectly, Alfred. Selina learned how to fly a Blackhawk this morning and we went skydiving out of it with Agent Hayes after we stopped by Pease Air National Guard Base to refuel. I even met one of the tanker pilots while we were there and took a picture with him."

"Sounds like you, Miss Kyle, and Agent Hayes had a very exciting morning."

"We did, every day of our vacation has been exciting so far. Right now I'm in a park conducting a little social experiment."

"What are you trying to accomplish exactly, Master Bruce?"

"I'm trying to see if people are more likely to interact with me without my security team present. And not to worry, they still have me covered from afar."

"What about Miss Kyle?"

"She is somewhere in this park, I don't know where exactly but I got a feeling that she's here."

"Well I hope she isn't getting you into any mischief. Have you had any luck with your experiment yet?"

"None yet, Alfred. I just got started."

"I think you might have more luck if you tried striking up a conservation with some of the people in the park rather than waiting for them to come up to you."

"I will take that under consideration. How are things back at the house?"

"All is well here Master Bruce, Just focus on enjoying yourself with Miss Kyle and Agent Hayes. You'll have plenty of time to think about home once you're back."

"Take care, Alfred."

"You do the same, Master Bruce," Alfred replied then hung up."

"That was nice of Alfred to check in on you, Bruce," Agent Hayes commented over Bruce's Bluetooth.

"Yeah, all is well back home. If only the same could be said for the rest of the city."

"I understand how you feel, Bruce. But I also understand that your butler wants you to focus on enjoying your vacation, remember what Agent Baldwin said about spending too much time thinking about conflicts?"

"I do, Control. I am continuing with the experiment."

"Cat Zero-One, are you picking up any negative vibes towards Bruce from the people around him?"

"Negative, Control. From what I can see, everyone in this park is blissfully unaware that a billionaire is in their presence. Which is a shame because he is such a feast for the eyes, especially mine," Selina said with a dreamy sigh.

"Well don't let your Bruce watching blind you to everyone else in the park. Remember every one of these people could be a potential threat to our boy."

"Bruce watching, we could make a reality show dedicated to just that. Watching Bruce Wayne everywhere he goes 24/7. Even when he's in the shower."

"If your idea of a reality show saw the light of day, Bruce's sense of privacy would be totally destroyed," Hayes commented.

"Oh I destroyed that on the first day I met him. Well I'm about to resume my Bruce watching, Cat Zero-One out."

Bruce continued his stroll around the park, observing various people as he went.

He could've easily gone up to any one of them and struck up a conservation, but for some strange reason he was enjoying not being a people magnet.

Back when his parents were alive, they would always draw a crowd whenever they went out. Random citizens, journalist, fellow billionaires it didn't matter. The Waynes were the ones everybody wanted to be around.

Bruce heard some birds chirping in a nearby tree and went over to observe them.

"Cat Zero-One to control, Bruce just went into bird watching mode."

"Copy, continue to monitor."

"Got it, do your boys still have eyes on him?"

"Affirmative, we got the whole park covered three-hundred and sixty degrees. Plus we got a drone overhead too."

Selina felt the urge to look up to see if she could spot it, but opted to keep her eyes on Bruce.

Bruce heard something move across the ground behind him and turned around and saw that it just a pair of squirrels.

He watched the birds chirp for a few more minutes then decided to go further off the beaten path.

Selina continued after him, maintaining a decent distance but not close enough for him to hear.

Back in the hotel, Agent Hayes is contacted by one of the sniper teams.

"Control, this is Team Seven, we got a visual on a lone male in a dingy looking sweatshirt approaching Bruce."

"Copy. Cat Zero-One, Bruce is about to have some company. I repeat, Bruce is about to have some company."

Selina hunkered down behind a bush before responding."

"I see him, Control. And I already got a bad feeling about him too. I'm moving to a more advantageous position, Zero-One out."

Bruce walked past a nearby flowerbed then he heard somebody call out to him

"Well hello there, kid," The stranger said.

"Hello, Bruce calmly replied. "What are you doing in this section of the park?

"I could ask you the same thing. But anyway, I wish to sell you some of my homemade candy."

"What do you call it?"

"I'm still struggling to come up with a fitting name for it, but I do have a fresh handful in my pocket."

"Let me see," Bruce said.

The guy pulls out a small plastic bag which gave Bruce a clear view of the contents.

But he has able to see them for they really were and they weren't pieces of candy.

Bruce slaps the bag away and kicks the man in the leg.

"You should be ashamed of yourself, selling meth to a kid," Bruce said sternly.

"You little self-righteous…."

But before the drug dealer could finish his sentence, Selina jumps down from the tree he was standing under and slams him to the ground.

"Nice landing," Bruce commented with a chuckle."

"Thanks, Selina replied then gave the guy a hard kick to the ribs. "And here's a piece of advice for you punk, never conduct a drug sale while standing under a tree. You never know what might come falling out."

"I couldn't've said it better myself," another voice commented.

Two men wearing DEA jackets accompanied by a four man tactical unit packing M4s came onto the scene. The big bald guy who appeared to be the leader was holding up his badge as his partner, Agent Alexander went to cuff the suspect.

"So who are you guys?" Selina asked.

"Drug Enforcement Administration at your service, ma'am. That was one helluva takedown you performed. I'm Agent Sprano by the way and the guy hauling off the perp is my partner, Agent Alexander."

"I'm Selina, AKA Cat and that kid over there is Bruce Wayne."

"Out of all the places where I thought I would be meeting the renowned son of Thomas and Martha Wayne, I never thought it would be on a drug bust."

"And I never thought I'd find myself in the middle of one either. How do you know of my parents sir?"

"I used to live in Gotham, Mr. Wayne. Not a day went by where your parents didn't appear on TV or in the newspapers. They were good people, son. It's a damn shame what happened to them."

"It certainly is, Agent Sprano. What can you tell me about the guy your partner just hauled off?"

"His name is Simon Young. He's been selling meth all over the city for months. Concord PD rounded up most of his street peddlers, but we wanted to catch him ourselves."

"So you guys told the cops they could go after the peddlers, but they had to leave the boss to you."

"You got it, Selina." The alternative was them watching us capture Simon and his crew and getting all the credit for it.

"How did you guys know he was going to be here?" Bruce asked.

"A tip from a confidential informant. Well I'm about to head back to the vehicle. You two enjoy the rest of your day now."

"You too, Agent Sprano," Bruce replied.

Shortly after Sprano walked away, Bruce turned to Selina and saw her flipping through a wallet.

"Selina, where did you get that from?"

"I picked it out of the perps pocket after I slammed him to the ground. Big payday for me and Agent Hayes wants us to meet her back at the hotel.

Hotel room

Four minutes later

Bruce sat on the bed as Agent Hayes waited for Agent Baldwin to get back to her on the phone. Selina decided to grab some food before rejoining them upstairs.

With Bruce's experiment completed, Agent Marvin had put the sniper rifle back in the case and he and Agent Stonewall were waiting for further orders.

"Alright Ashley, I'm back."

"So what did Agent Cunningham tell you?"

"After his not so lovely chat with the local DEA field office, he said that the reason for them not informing us of their operation was because they didn't think it was necessary. And from what you've told me, Bruce and Selina handled themselves perfectly.

"They did, and my teams had eyes on them from start to finish. But would it really kill the DEA to give us a heads up if one of their operations happens to be in the same place Bruce and Selina are?"

"Well you know how we federal agencies are when it comes to interagency communications, we never really talk to each other unless we absolutely have to or if national security is at stake."

"It seems like a national security matter is the only thing that brings us together, and the occasional joint operation. Do you think Cunningham would've told us if he knew?"

"Knowing him, fat chance. He probably would've said oh Agent Hayes has those little rascals covered, they'll be fine. Then go back to drinking his triple expresso."

"That pretty much sounds like him. But I think his lack of respect for Bruce and Selina is born out of pure spite."

"I can't understand why he doesn't like them. The kids have grown on me too, in the friends and partners way of course. I sense that your bond with them is much deeper."

"Like I told Alfred after the manhunt, I love them as if they were my own."

"Well I don't wanna keep you from your kids any longer so I'm about to go and give the Gotham field office a call to see how things are going there."

"Ok, Baldwin," Hayes replied with a chuckle then hung up and turned to Bruce.

"Ashley, I'm sorry if Selina and I were being reckless in taking on that drug dealer rather than running away."

"Apologies aren't necessary, Bruce. You and Selina helped get a criminal off the streets and you had every right to tell him how wrong he was. I'm proud of you two. Just don't go around mixing bravery with stupidity and we'll be alright."

"Understood," Bruce replied then Hayes sat down next to him and pulled him into a hug.

"I'm just glad you and your girlfriend are back in one piece."

"So am I. Just out curiosity, how high was your pucker factor?"

"It was at level two, but if Selina wasn't in position to jump him, one of my snipers would've dropped him."

"I knew that I was in good hands between you and Selina, that's why I didn't feel one ounce of fear when I was confronting him."

"My brave boy," Hayes replied then patted Bruce on the head and got up.

"Room service people," Selina said as she walked into the room pushing a food cart and wearing a chef's hat.

"Something smells delicious, what did you bring us?" Hayes asked.

Selina lifted the first dish lid revealing a bowl of roasted shrimp with dipping sauce in a middle, then the second lid revealing a basket full of cheddar bay biscuits.

"I sampled one of these biscuits before coming up with the cart, Bruce. If you eat one of these, you'll never want to eat another type of biscuit ever again."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really."

Bruce began to reach for one, but Selina gave him a glare that pretty much told him to hold on.

"Normally I'm not the one for formal gestures, but today I'm making an exception. I wish to raise a toast."

"To what or who?"

"Patience B, you'll find out soon enough. Agent Marvin and Agent Stonewall, I want you guys to join us in this feast."

"Is that alright with you, Agent Hayes?" Marvin asked.

"Sure, you two can use a break. I also have my laptop tapped in to the hotel security network so if any uninvited guest come up here, we'll know and the four guys I have posted outside will handle them."

"Plus I didn't buy five blueberry lemonades for nothing," Selina added.

With everyone in place around the cart, they grabbed their lemonades and awaited Selina's statement. She removed the chef's hat and tossed it on the bed behind her.

"To our ally in the Bureau and defacto adoptive mother, Agent Ashley Hayes."

"To you, Ashley," Bruce said then everyone raised their glasses.

"I really appreciate the gesture, Selina."

"You're welcome, now let's eat."

"Now that he was in the clear, Bruce grabbed one of the biscuits began to eat it.

"Wow, this really is good. I think I'll have Alfred make these kinds of biscuits from now on."

"I told you that you wouldn't want any other type of biscuit after having these."

"So how were you able to get the cart and hat?"

"I used one of the hundred dollar bills from that drug dealer's wallet. This order didn't cost that much, but hundreds are the only bills he had. Now as for the chef's hat, one of the cooks let me have one of his extras and they remembered seeing me walk in with the agents so they let me take the food up. They'll pick up their cart when we leave."

"Fair enough. I know my experiment didn't turn out the way I thought it would, but I actually enjoyed the time to myself in the park. It allowed me to slow down and actually appreciate the beauty around me.

"Your little experiment worked out me too. I got to take down a punk and bagged a lot of cash too."

"I know I told you not to steal any wallets, but I can always make an exception if it's stolen from a crook."

"Bruce doesn't mind stealing from crooks either," Selina replied then went over to the shrimp as Bruce grabbed another biscuit.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

As the convoy drove down the dirt road on its way back to the cabin, Selina was sitting in the front passenger seat counting the money she stole from the drug dealer Bruce confronted in the park.

"So do you have any plans for that money, Selina?" Agent Hayes asked.

"I was thinking that I could use some of it for my own little shopping spree tomorrow and save the rest for myself."

"You got over a thousand dollars there, Selina how much stuff do you plan of buying?"

"I don't know Bruce, I just started thinking about tomorrow's plans. The only one that is etched in stone is joining Agent Hayes in watching your Falcons go down in flames to the Denver Broncos."

"It's impossible to know the outcome of a game before it is played."

"Well my cat senses beg to differ, Bruce."

"Settle down kids," Hayes said as they pulled up in front of the cabin.

Hayes turned off the engine and they got out of the vehicle and were greeted by Agent Tapper.

"Welcome back ma'am."

"Thanks Agent Tapper and good job on holding down the fort again."

"My pleasure, and there's a letter here for Selina. It's from that Blackhawk pilot you guys were flying with earlier.

Selina grabbed the envelope out of Tapper's hands and tore it open.

After pulling out the letter, she unfolded it and saw the following message.

Dear Selina Kyle.

We heard that you were interested in seeing Apache helicopters in action. Well tonight is your chance. If you wish to join us in the gunner seat for a live fire training exercise, arrive at Fort Breckenridge tonight at Seven o'clock sharp.

Sincerely.

Chief Warrant Officer Third Class Bishop

NHANG/United States Army.

Well it appears that Chief Warrant Officer Mullen must've told some Apache pilots about me wanting to see their helicopters in action and they invited me to join them on a live fire exercise."

"I take you're going to accept their invitation?"

"Of course, Bruce. It's not every day you get to wreck stuff and not worry about pissing people off. Let alone doing it with a helicopter."

"What base do they want us to meet them at and at what time?"

"Fort Breckenridge at seven O'clock."

"I'll make sure we're there at six forty-five," Agent Hayes replied.

"How far away is it, Ashley?"

"No worries, Bruce. It's only five miles northwest of here."

Since they had some time on their hands, they went inside and pulled up a documentary about the Apache helicopter on the computer for Selina to watch.

It told her everything about it from its development phase in the 1970s, to its entry into service in 1982.

After that segment, it went on to talk about the agility and firepower of the helicopter and showed testimonials from pilots who flew it on countless combat missions in the 1990s and 2000s.

All of them had nothing but high praise for the bird and Selina had a very fond opinion of it too by the end of the program.

"So what do you think of it?" Bruce asked.

"It's a very impressive machine. I also like the fact that the thirty millimeter cannon is linked in with your helmet so you can aim it with your head movements."

"Yeah, it does sound like a cool capability."

"Duh Bruce, everything about this helicopter screams cool."

A few hours later, they were back on the road and on their way to Fort Breckenridge.

Fort Breckenridge

After grabbing a flight vest and helmet from the pilot ready room, Selina walked out to the flight line where she saw three Apache Longbows. Two of them had their rotors spinning while the one in middle remained idle.

She was halfway to them when she spotted a woman running towards her.

"Excuse me, but are you Selina Kyle?"

"Yeah, and I take you're Chief Warrant Officer Bishop?"

"Affirmative, Kelly Bishop. You're a little early but that's great because it shows that you're really eager to fly with us. Please follow me."

When Selina saw Bishop on the letter, she thought the pilot she would be meeting was a man. Perhaps that was because the only other person she met with that name was a street boy.

Bishop and Selina climb into the third Apache and power it up.

"I just took a look at our weapons display, we got twelve-hundred rounds for the chain gun and four Hydra-70 rocket pods with nineteen rockets in each one. That gives us seventy-six to boot.

"It sure does, Selina. And my preflight check for our flight controls confirms that we're in the green."

"Cool, let's rock."

"You got it. Gladiators 1-2 and 1-3, are you guys ready to go to the range?"

"Affirmative ma'am."

"Affirmative boss."

Bishops Apache rose from the ground first and her wingmen followed suit.

"You know, I always thought pilots sat up front in an aircraft," Selina commented.

"That's only for planes, it's a little different for helicopters as you can clearly see.

"Yeah."

"I'm about to send you a map of our flight route for tonight, check it out.

A map appeared one of Selina's display screens and it had four dots aligned in a zigzag pattern.

Bishop told her that each of those dots represented the killboxes that were set up for them. The first three had manikins representing enemy infantry and some light skinned vehicles like pickup trucks with machine guns and some old flatbeds made to look like troop transports.

The fourth killbox which would the last one they would visit had some wooden replicas of T-72 tanks which would be engaged by Gladiator 1-3.

"I'm just looking around with the FLIR system right now. I can see everything on the ground perfectly with this thing."

"I'm glad you like it, Selina. But I need you to stay focused, we'll be within firing range of the first killbox soon," Bishop said.

"Got it."

On the other side of the base, Bruce and Agent Hayes were at an observation point overlooking the first killbox.

Since this was a live fire exercise, they had to wear helmets and body armor for their own safety. Even though Hayes was already wearing a vest under her shirt, the MPs insisted that she wear a second one for extra protection.

"It's so quiet out here, Bruce commented.

"Enjoy it while you can because I got a feeling that the storm isn't too far off," Hayes replied then Selina's voice came over the radio.

"Hey Bruce, it's Cat. Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear."

"You and Ashley better cover your ears because it's about to get loud."

"Just how loud exactly?"

The answer to Bruce's question arrived in the form of the ground around the targets erupting in a series of explosions as three trails of gunfire rained down from the sky.

"I've never seen bullets explode like that before, what kind of rounds are they using?" Bruce shouted over the noise.

"High explosive dual purpose. If even one of those rounds landed within ten feet of you, you would be dead and a direct hit wouldn't leave a body to speak of."

Eight rockets struck the ground as the Apaches flew over on their way to the next killbox.

"Did you two enjoy the show?" Selina asked

"We sure did, Cat. That display of firepower you guys unleashed riled up Bruce pretty good, but he's fine. Were you the one that sent down those rockets?"

"I sure was, Ashley and we're about to light up the second killbox. Cat out."

"Bruce and Hayes could hear the sound of more rocket and gunfire followed by explosions off in the distance.

"Killbox two cleared, nice shooting everyone. Now let's go light up number three," Bishop said.

Bruce turned his attention back the area before him and saw that there was hardly anything left of the vehicles and no sign of the manikans.

"Had those been real people they wouldn't've been shot, they would've been disintegrated. Scary," Bruce thought to himself.

Gladiator flight

Shortly after passing over killbox three

"Only one killbox left Gladiators, let's finish this," Bishop said.

"Grand finale here we come," Selina shouted excitedly."

"Gladiator 1-2 here, our guest sounds like she's having the time of her life up here.

"You damn right I am, 1-2. And Warrant Officer Mullen wasn't lying, you Apache pilots do have all the fun."

"Oh yes," 1-2 replied."

"Gladiator 1-1, this is 1-3. We are eight miles out from killbox three and I got four T-62s on TADS."

"Solid copy 1-3, we'll hold position here. Selina, are you ready for a little hellfire demonstration?"

"Absolutely, Bishop."

"You know what to do, 1-3."

"Copy that, 1-1. Targets acquired, missiles away."

Selina looked to the left and watched as 1-3s Apache fired off four missiles in rapid succession then banked to the left releasing flares as he went. She knew he was executing an evasive maneuver because she saw something similar on the documentary earlier.

Selina turned to her display screens just in time to see the hellfires strike home on the top of the turrets, reducing the tanks to fireballs.

"Damn they came down quick, nice shooting 1-3, you got'em all in one go."

"What can I say Selina, we Gladiators aim to please."

"Well I know I'm feeling very pleased with our performance," Selina replied.

"So am I," Bishop said.

With the target practice complete, it was time for three warbirds to head back to the flight line.

Flight line

Six minutes later

Shortly after landing, Selina took off her helmet and rejoined Bruce and Agent Hayes. She was very gleeful about her flight with the Gladiators.

"Bruce, Ashley, it was absolutely freaking awesome up there. The third killbox had so many targets, all three of us unleased monsoon of rocket fire."

"A lot more than you did at the first one?" Bruce asked.

"Hell yeah and I even burned through the remaining ammo for the thirty mil. I never thought I could burn through twelve-hundred rounds in one night."

"I never thought so either," Bishop said as she and her pilots walked up to them."

"Bruce, you have to make Alfred get us an Apache helicopter for Christmas."

"If you asked him for one, I already know what he would say. Absolutely not," Hayes commented.

"So how would you rate her performance, Warrant Officer Bishop?" Bruce asked.

"On a scale of one to ten, I'd say ten. Her head was in the game and she didn't miss a single target. Be sure not to piss her off Mr. Wayne, she's a goddess behind a trigger.

"I'll… be sure to keep that in mind, ma'am," Bruce replied as he nervously tugged his shirt collar.

"I know you three will be leaving soon, but can we can get some autographs from you Mr. Wayne before you go?" Bishop asked.

"It's a good thing I always bring a pin with me," Bruce replied then Bishop told one of her pilots to go find a paper tablet.

He returned with one in no time flat and Bruce began signing much to the delight of Bishop and her pilots.

"After that, Bruce, Selina, and Hayes took a couple of photos with them. Bishop had a nearby soldier hold Bruce's camera so they could all be in the photos together.

Before word of Bruce Wayne giving autographs spread across the base, the trio quickly made their exit and were back in their vehicle heading for home and a good night's rest.

Hayes was very happy to leave the second vest behind for it felt a little too tight on her while she was wearing it.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The Convoy turned off the dirt road and came to a stop in front of the cabin. Agent Hayes and Selina looked back at Bruce to see if he was still awake but it turned out he fell asleep again.

"I'll grab the door, you grab the billionaire," Selina said.

"Got it," Hayes replied then they exited the vehicle.

Bruce began to stir at the sound of his seatbelt being unbuckled and Hayes was quick to reassure him that it was just her as she pulled him out.

"Are we home?" he asked in a tired tone of voice.

"Yes cutie pie, now let's get you in the house.

She carried the boy into the living and laid him down on the couch. She heard the sound of water running in the bathroom and figured that Selina was taking a shower.

With everyone settled, she turned on the TV to see the weather forecast for tomorrow.

It was going to be a rough one, heavy rain and severe thunderstorms would be raging throughout the day. Some power outages were to be expected and the weatherman insisted that anyone with outside plans for tomorrow best to put them on hold till Friday which would be sunny and clear.

After completing her shower, Selina stepped out of the bathroom in a pair of red silk pajamas and heard what sounded like giggling.

She went to the living room and sure enough, she saw Bruce pinned to the floor by Agent Hayes and laughing hysterically as she tickled him at a feverish pace.

Selina watched as Hayes went back and forth between his armpits and ribs then a few seconds later, his shirt came up just enough to expose a new target for his assailant, his belly and Hayes's fingers seized upon it and tickled away like no tomorrow.

They were so immersed in their activity, neither one of them noticed Selina standing a few feet away.

"Ashley, it tickles. Ow, it tickles."

"Ohhh you're such a squeamish little rich boy aren't you, aren't you?" Hayes asked as her fingers continued to work his stomach.

Bruce was too busy laughing and squirming to respond and even if he did beg for release, Hayes was simply having too much fun to grant it.

Selina just stood with her foot against the wall as she smiled at their playful state.

Eventually, she decided that this little spectacle had gone on long enough and cleared her throat to get their attention.

"Having a little fun before bedtime are we?"

"Oh, hey Selina. We didn't know you were standing there," Bruce commented.

"And a little fun would be an understatement, Cat. I'd say Bruce and I are having a lot," Hayes replied then resumed tickling Bruce for a few more seconds then ushered him to his feet. "Alright that concludes the ticklethon, Bruce. Now you run along and get yourself ready for bed, go, go."

"Yes ma'am," Bruce said then ran past Selina on his way to the bedroom.

"Selina watched him run down the hall for a second then turned back to Hayes.

"I've never seen him that playful since our first food fight."

"Food fight? I wonder how that got started.

"It happened on the first day Detective Gordon dropped me off at the manor. Bruce and I were having lunch when I decided to throw a bagel at him.

"Why?"

"I guess I just wanted to liven things up a little. Anyway I told him if he managed to hit me back, I'd let him kiss me. And you can guess what happened next."

"Bagels and other food items went flying everywhere."

"That's right. Alfred and I had a little chat about it later and while he wasn't too happy about the mess, he thanked me for making Bruce smile. Something he hadn't done since the murder of his parents."

"I understand how something like that can really suck the life out of a kid."

"I take it some of the kids you protected in the past went through the same thing Bruce did?"

"No, but I've heard my fair share of stories from grief counselors who have had sessions with kids who went through events similar to what Bruce endured. Not very pleasant meetings to say the least."

"I can understand why. Before I head off to bed, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure Selina, what is it?"

"Do you think you'll ever see your real parents again?"

"Honestly, I've found it impossible to care for those that abandoned me. They're probably dead for all I know. Besides, I became a much better woman under my adoptive family than I would have under them anyway."

"I understand you're pissed about them abandoning you, Ashley. But you should still have some love for them. I still have some for my mother even though she left me on the streets."

"How we feel is how we feel, Selina," Hayes replied.

Knowing that there was nothing else she could say to make Hayes change her mind. Selina wished her a goodnight.

"Goodnight Selina," she replied then Selina headed off to bed.

"After hearing the bedroom door close, Agent Hayes lit the fireplace and sat on the couch where she took she took her shoes off and put her feet up on the table.

She would be going to bed soon enough, but she wanted to take a moment to relax and reflect on how far she came from where she was.

The warmth of the fire was very comforting to her, there was something about it that made one feel at ease.

AN. I know this chapter is shorter than the others, but this is the first one being back from my little break.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen.

When Bruce woke up the next morning, the first thing he noticed was that Selina wasn't lying next to him. Instead, he found a note turned face down on her pillow. He turned it over and found the following message.

Morning, B.

If you're reading this, it means you've overslept. Your plate of eggs and bacon is still on the table, you'll have to reheat it though.

PS. Agent Hayes is teaching me some self-defense techniques in the backyard.

See you when you wake up.

Love Selina.

Bruce wanted to head to the backyard right away, but his stomach had other ideas.

So not wanting his food to get any colder, he went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face then went straight to the kitchen where he found his plate and put it in the microwave for a minute and twenty seconds.

After pulling it out, he sat down and began eating at a leisurely pace.

Even though he had to reheat it, the breakfast Hayes prepared for him was still delicious.

After he was done, Bruce went into the bathroom where he took a quick shower to freshen up for the day.

A few minutes later, Agent Hayes and Selina came back into the house just in time to catch Bruce emerging from the bedroom in a blue shirt and pair of black jeans.

"Morning Ashley, morning Selina."

"Good morning Bruce. Did you eat yet?" Hayes asked.

"Yes. And then I took a shower. How did the self-defense training go, Selina?"

"It was awesome. Ashley taught me this fighting style call Krav Maga. It's an Israeli martial art, you should try learning it. Your fighting skills can really use some updating."

"I'll think it over, so what's up for today?"

"We're going back to the Mall of New Hampshire so Selina can do her little shopping spree and then we'll grab some food for the game later on tonight.

"Oh yes, the Falcons Broncos game," Bruce said then scrambled back into the bedroom then came back out wearing his Falcons hoodie.

"It looks like somebody is already showing their team spirt," Selina commented.

"Well we'll be showing ours come game time. Denver Broncos all the way, right Selina?"

"Hell yeah, Ashley," Selina replied then gave her federal buddy a high five.

"When they walked outside, Bruce was surprised to see that it was bright and sunny.

"I thought it was supposed to storm today," Bruce commented.

"Maybe the weatherman was wrong or the storm is buying us time to enjoy ourselves." Hayes replied.

"Perhaps Bruce and I have some influence on the weather. That would be kinda freaky if you asked me."

"Try not to spawn any storms or twisters on us, okay," Hayes said.

"As long as nobody tries to mess with us, we'll be cool," Selina replied as they got into their vehicle.

"With everyone set, the convoy set out for the long drive to Manchester.

Since they had a long drive ahead of them, Selina opted to sit in the back with Bruce to keep him company.

Interstate 93

As they drive continued, Bruce began going through some of the photos on his camera.

"Going through the photos, huh?" Selina asked.

"Yeah. We still have a way to go before we reach the mall, so I figured why not."

"Which one is your favorite so far?"

"I really like the one we took after our jump from the helicopter and the ones we took with the Apache pilots at Fort Breckenridge are pretty cool. What was it like flying in one of them?"

"The second most awesome thing I've ever done. Next to meeting you, if only that was under better circumstances."

"I've always wondered what my parents would've thought of you if they were still alive."

"They probably would've frowned upon me due to my thieving ways."

"I didn't frown upon you when I met you. I find your ability to steal to be more of an asset than something to complain about.

"You might be the only person outside the criminal world to think that."

"Better me than nobody, right?"

"You're not the only one that has a positive opinion of Selina," Hayes commented and Bruce nodded in acknowledgement.

"Yeah, you're a safe bet and a very cute one too?"

Selina's statement caused Bruce to blush as he thanked her for the compliment. She was pleased that she could make his face turn red with a handful of words.

"So do you have any other favorite moments, B?" Selina asked.

"I really enjoyed our little lunch in the hotel room and you looked adorable with that chef's hat on. It's a shame you didn't keep it."

"Like it would've been of much use to me back in Gotham. At least you got a photo of me wearing it."

Bruce went to that particular photo of Selina on the camera and smiled.

With not much else to talk about, Bruce and Selina went back to staring out the windows at the traffic around their convoy. Each one alone in their own thoughts.

Selina was thinking about how much her life had changed in such a short timeframe.

"I go from being a thieving nobody to being with a billionaire. I go from hanging with criminals to hanging with feds. Who would've thought that was going to happen? Then again, I never thought I would go skydiving or sit in the gunner seat of one the most powerful attack choppers in the world. Life sure does have a funny way of surprising you," she thought to herself.

Mall of New Hampshire

11:30AM

Bruce, Selina, and Hayes walked into the mall with their security team right behind them.

"Selina was looking through the wallet she stole from the drug dealer the other and couldn't help but grin at the money she would soon be spinning.

"So what's the first stop, Selina?" Bruce asked.

The answer came soon enough and when it did, Bruce found himself feeling very awkward in front of the store.

"Stop fretting, Bruce. It's just Victoria Secret and don't tell me you've never stepped foot in one before."

"Actually Selina, this is a place I've never stepped into. Plus I would feel really out of place. It's an intimate apparel store."

"So, it's not like the bras and undies are gonna come to life and attack you. Although that would make for quite a headline."

"Oh yes, Selina. I can already see it in my mind, Bruce Wayne Vs a killer horde of bras, panties, and thongs," Agent Hayes commented.

"How about we do it this way, Selina. I'll go to the food court while you do your Victoria Secret shopping."

"Fine B, have it your way."

"Agent Marvin, you and your boys go with Bruce. Selina and I will be fine."

"Are you sure, Agent Hayes?"

"Since when have I not been sure? Plus, since it's gonna be me and Cat, I'm gonna have to borrow your M4."

"Yes ma'am, Marvin replied then pulled the strap his rifle was attached to over his head and gave it to Hayes.

"See at the food court, Bruce," Selina said then she and Hayes disappeared into the store.

One minute later, Bruce and the team were halfway to their destination when they heard a woman screaming about her purse.

"Come back here with my purse, you moron," she shouted as she chased the man out of one of the stores.

Nearby shoppers quickly got out of the way as the thief ran past him with the angry woman hot on his tail.

"Stay here Bruce, I got this," Marvin said then ran towards the action albeit on an indirect route.

The chase continued on for a few more seconds then Marvin charged in from the right and tackled the thief to the ground which resulted in the purse sliding across the floor towards Bruce and the other feds.

As Marvin slapped the cuffs on the thief, Bruce grabbed the purse as the lady approached them.

"Here is your purse, ma'am."

"Thank you very much young man, and be sure to give my thanks to your FBI friend too. By the way, I'm Lisa."

"I'm Bruce Wayne."

"Have a good day, Bruce," Lisa replied smiling then walked away with her purse.

"Bruce, this is Hayes. How are things going out there?"

"Pretty good, Ashley. Agent Marvin just tackled a purse snatcher and I returned it to its rightful owner. Agent Marvin just handed the thief over to maltl security."

"Okay. Selina is almost done here, we'll meet you at the food court as planned. Unless you changed your mind."

"I'm still sticking to the plan, Ashley."

"Very well, Hayes out."

With the situation with the purse snatcher dealt with, Bruce and the team continued on the food court.

When they got there, Bruce asked what they wanted. Apparently he was inviting them to lunch.

Surprisingly, Agent Marvin and the squad were big pizza fans so it was going be a pizza lunch.

Bruce used his credit card to pay for everybody's meal, including his.

As a security measure, they decided to spread out across two tables. Marvin and Stonewall sat with Bruce and rest of the team sat at another table close by.

The way they were sitting put them in a perfect position to spot anyone entering the food court.

"That was a very net takedown, Agent Marvin. Did they teach you to tackle like in training?"

"Kinda. Before I was a federal agent, I played football in high school and college."

"What did you study in college?"

"Criminal justice and then I joined the FBI after graduation.

"What about you, Agent Stonewall?"

"Before becoming a federal agent, I was a joint terminal attack controller in the United States Air Force. My job was vectoring in air strikes on targets.

"Sounds like a very exciting job," Bruce commented.

"It sure was. But after a while, I wanted to try something new before I got too old, so I retired from the Air Force and as you know, the rest is history."

Two minutes later, Agent Lopez spotted Agent Hayes and Selina coming towards them.

"Here they come."

"Having a nice lunch, are we?" Hayes asked.

"Yes ma'am, and Bruce choose to cover us," Marvin said.

"It's my way of thanking them for the outstanding work they've been doing so far in regards to protecting us."

"I applaud your sense of consideration, Bruce."

"Thank you, Ashley. And I see you did a decent amount of shopping, Selina," Bruce commented referring to the three Victoria Secret bags she was holding.

"Yeah, the two in my right hand are mine, but the third one has all the stuff Ashley wanted.

"Since I was the one standing guard with the M4, I just pointed out the things I wanted and Selina did the rest. Here's your gun, Agent Marvin.

Selina felt the urge to say something about Hayes having some exotic taste considering some of the items she wanted, but decided to skip the idea.

"How many more stores do you plan on hitting?" Bruce asked after finishing off his pizza.

"Just one more and then we're heading back to Concord where we'll buy some stuff for the game.

"Sounds like a plan," Bruce commented.

"For future reference Bruce, you're gonna have to overcome your fear of scantily clad clothing stores. Being in a relationship sometimes means doing things you don't feel comfortable doing and going ahead with it anyway."

"She's got a point, Bruce," Selina said."

"I wasn't scared of the store."

"Sure you weren't," Selina replied with fiendish smile

After they were done eating, they went to JC Penny where Selina purchased a couple of dresses, some black shirts, a motorcycle jacket which was a spitting image of the one she already had, and a dark blue Broncos hoodie for tonight's occasion.

Bruce was surprised that Selina picked four dresses, and she told him that Even though she didn't consider herself the formal type, the dresses would be quite handy for situations that required a more formal appearance.

With her shopping complete, they headed for the exit but not before, Selina made Bruce carry her JC Penny shopping bags.

One minute later, the convoy was on its way back to Concord.

"So how did you like your shopping spree, Selina?" Hayes asked.

"I enjoyed it very much, too bad we couldn't see Agent Marvin taking down that thief earlier.

Ashley's cabin.

7:55PM

The storm which turned out started earlier in the evening was now in full swing, but that did nothing to damper the spirts of Bruce, Selina, and Agent Hayes.

As Bruce was watching the pregame show, Selina walked into the room wearing her Broncos hoodie and carrying a box of tissues which she placed on the coffee table.

What's that for?" Bruce asked.

"It's for the tears you'll be crying at the end of the game when the Falcons fall like the rain outside."

"The commentators don't seem to think so," Bruce replied directing Selina's attention to the TV screen.

She saw that five of the slots at the bottom of the screen had Atlanta's logo in them and the last one had Denver's.

"Maybe I should send some tissue boxes down to Atlanta for the guys favoring the Falcons. Maybe you guys can have a crying party.

"That would be a very depressing idea for a party."

"Well get ready to be depressed, Bruce. The Falcons are going down tonight. In flames."

"My faith in the Falcons is unbreakable, just like me."

"We'll see what you'll be saying at the end of the 4th quarter," Selina replied.

"Settle down you two, Agent Hayes said as she entered the room with a bowl of boneless wings in one hand and a Digiorno stuffed crust pizza in the other.

And just like Selina, Hayes was also wearing a Broncos hoodie.

"Let me help you with that, Ashley," Bruce said then got off the couch and ran over to her.

"Thank you, B," Hayes replied as Bruce took the pizza and sat it on the table.

"Now this is what I call a football feast," Selina commented after the wings were placed on the table.

Just as Hayes was about sit down between Bruce and Selina, there was a knock at the door.

"Were you expecting someone?" Selina asked.

"No," Hayes replied which prompted Selina to draw her knife and Bruce sprung to his feet in a combat stance as Hayes grabbed the radio that was resting near the edge of the table.

"Agent Mayhew, who is at my door?"

"It's just Agent Baldwin, ma'am."

"Copy that. Stand down kids," Hayes whispered then headed to the door.

She opened the door and saw Baldwin standing before her with a bag containing an eight pack of drinks.

"Hello Ashley."

"Hey Anthony, what brings you by?"

"I got bored sitting at the field office. But I did hear about the football game tonight and I was wondering if could join you and the kids?"

"Of course, come on in."

Baldwin entered the house and was greeted by Bruce and Selina.

"Hi Agent Baldwin," They said in unison.

"Hey kids. I'm off duty, so there's no need to call me by my job title. Hell, I don't think it would matter even if I was on duty.

"But you still have your FBI jacket on," Selina said. And what do you have in the bag?"

"An eight pack of cherry pepsi's."

"You're a life saver, Anthony. I was so caught up in figuring out what food to buy for the game that the beverages skipped my mind," Hayes replied as he pulled the drinks out of the bag and ripped the top off the box.

"Come on Ashley, you of all people should that a football feast is never complete without drinks."

"Before Hayes could reply, Bruce pointed out that they were about start singing the national anthem.

The group remained silent for the duration of the song, then once it was over, Hayes cleared everyone to dig in to the feast.

Baldwin put his jacket on a chair in the kitchen and sat next to Bruce on the couch.

"So who are you rooting for, Anthony?"

"I'm a Patriots fan, Bruce. But if I had to pick a team for tonight…."

"Choose wisely," Selina said.

"I'd go with Denver."

"Ding ding ding, and we have a winner. Congratulations Anthony Baldwin, you just won the grand prize of not getting your heart broken by the Atlanta Falcons," Selina said in her best game show host voice.

Atlanta kicked the ball off to Denver and the first quarter began.

One of the Broncos caught the ball and took off like a rocket. The end result was a eighty yard touchdown plus the extra point which put Denver up seven to nothing.

"Alright Denver, Hayes shouted.

"The end has begun, Bruce," Selina commented but Bruce remained confident in his team.

Denver kicked the ball back to Atlanta who responded with a similar run and ended in touch down for them.

With the kick for the extra point successful, the Broncos and the Falcons were now tied seven to seven.

There were a few more back to back touchdowns then it became a clash of defenses.

The first quarter ended with a tie of twenty to twenty.

"Talk about one hell of a first quarter, right?"

"It sure was, Ashley," Selina replied.

Bruce simply nodded as he chewed on a slice of pizza.

The second quarter started off with Atlanta receiving the ball, but there was no mad dash to the in zone this time. Denver's defense stopped them shortly after they received it.

Atlanta made three more attempts to get down the field, but they all failed and were forced to punt it away on fourth down.

Denver got the ball and gained a first down.

Their second attempt was just as successful, but their third attempt got stopped at the forty yard line.

Denver made another move but this time, Denver's quarterback threw the ball down the field where it was caught by a guy and the thirty yard line who bolted past the Falcons players around and scored another touchdown for Denver.

But the moment was soured by a penalty flag landing on the field.

It was against Atlanta's number ninety five for clipping one of the Bronco's players.

"Ashley, how is clipping somebody a problem in football?" Bruce asked.

"Because you're not allowed to tackle a non-ball-carrying player from behind or at or below the waist."

A few more plays were made by both sides and the end result for the second quarter was another tie twenty-one to twenty-one.

"Denver and Atlanta are really putting their all into this game," Bruce commented.

"You got that right, Kid," Baldwin stated.

"Wait till after halftime Bruce, Denver's defense is really going to shine," Hayes said then glanced over to Selina who was stuffing her face with wings.

"Wow Selina, you really love those wings."

"Can you blame me, Ashley?" You really outdid yourself with these and the pizza is also delicious."

"I aim to please when it comes to my cooking. By the way, you got a lot of sauce on your face."

"Easy fix," Selina replied then wiped her hand across her face and licked the sauce off her fingers. "Better?"

"Sure," Hayes replied."

At the start of the third quarter, the apocalypse Selina was talking eariler about started coming true. Atlanta received the ball, but they were forced to punt it away as quickly as they received it.

After a few more plays from Denver, they got another touchdown and broke the tie which was followed by a kick for the extra point which put the Broncos back in the lead, twenty-eight to twenty-one.

The Falcons tried running the ball down the field twice, but they ended up getting buried by Denver's defense every time. So they tried throwing it on third down and got the worst possible result.

The football flew straight into the hands of a Bronco's player who turned the interception into a forty yard touchdown after dodging some Falcons players who tried to stop him."

"That was incredible," Baldwin commented as Hayes and Selina cheered at the success of the two point conversion that followed the touchdown.

"Thirty-seven to twenty-one. Go Denver, go," Hayes shouted excitedly.

"So how are you feeling now, Bruce?"

"I believe the Falcons can still make a comeback, Selina."

"I hate to be the one to say this, Bruce. But I think you're hoping against hope at this point," Baldwin commented.

What little hope there was for a Falcons comeback faded away in the fourth and final quarter of the game.

The Falcons were unable to break through Denver's defensive line who ended up turning another interception into a touchdown.

Bruce couldn't believe what was happening, but he still maintained his cool holding to hope which appeared to slipping away by the second.

The end result was a Bronco victory. Final score, forty-four to twenty-one.

As for the food, the pizza was completely consumed and only a handful of wings and two cans of pepsi remained.

Bruce expected another taunting remark from Selina when she walked over to him, but she patted him on the shoulder and said something else.

"Your team may have better luck in their next match against the Miami Dolphins."

"Maybe. But on the whole, this was a very exciting game. Especially with all you here."

"Having a positive outlook in the aftermath of defeat. I like that line of thinking, Bruce."

"Thank you Agent Baldwin, I mean Anthony."

"Force of habit, I know."

After helping Hayes, Bruce, and Selina, with cleaning up, he wished them a good night then grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.

"Thanks for dropping by and helping us out," Hayes said.

"You're welcome," Baldwin replied before closing the door behind him.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Day five

Pawtuckaway State Park

Nottingham, New Hampshire

10:30AM

Agent Hayes watched Bruce and Selina as they continued on with their bouldering competition. Agent Marvin and his team were positioned close by in the surrounding bushes. Ready to spring into action if necessary.

"Looks like I beat you again, B," Selina said after getting to the top of the rock."

"We still have eight more boulders to go, Selina. I'm bound to get lucky on at least one of them."

"We'll see," Selina replied then jumped off and sprinted over to the next one."

"Hey, I wasn't ready yet," Bruce said as he jumped down and followed suit.

But by the time he started climbing, Selina was halfway to the top.

A few seconds later, she was at the top as Bruce continued to climb.

But she didn't bother waiting for him, she jumped down and ran over to the next one.

By the time she was on the fifth boulder, Bruce was still working on number three.

Boulder number six was slightly shorter than the others, so Selina was able to get to the top of it with a quick jump.

Instead of running off to next one like she did with the others, Selina decided to give Bruce a chance to catch up. Not that it mattered, victory in this boulder climbing match was already hers.

Once Bruce joined her at the top of the rock, the race was on again.

Selina finished climbing the rest of the boulders without breaking a sweat. Bruce finished a few seconds after her.

"Great work you two."

"Thanks Ashley, climbing those rocks was fun. Wasn't it Bruce?"

"Yeah except for the fact that I lost."

"Don't be so sore, B. You just have to work your climbing skills. Like a lot," Selina commented.

"If we do this again, could you not leave me in the dust so many times?"

"There are no fair chances in competition, just like there aren't any fair chances on the streets of Gotham. Always anticipate what someone is going to do before they do it and counter them."

"Just like in chess. So what do you two want to do now?" Hayes asked.

"Considering that we drove twenty-eight point seven miles to get here, I think we should take the time to explore this place," Bruce replied.

"Great, I'm game." Selina added.

"Exploring the park it is," Hayes said then they headed towards the nature trail. Birds could be heard chirping in the trees and a couple of squirrels ran across the ground before them.

"This state has no shortage of beauty," Bruce commented.

"That's one of things I love about New Hampshire, its natural beauty," Hayes replied.

"What other states would you recommend for outdoor adventuring?" Selina asked.

"California, Colorado, Michigan, especially the northern part of the state. Montana, South Dakota if you're interested in looking at a couple of faces carved into a rock, Alaska, and maybe Wyoming. But you'd be pushing it going into that state."

"But Alaska is much farther than Wyoming, why do you say that?"

"Unless you're a rancher or love the great outdoors to the point of not loving anything else, Wyoming is a very desolate and uninteresting place. Granted that it does have cities like Cheyenne, Laramie, and Casper. But you'll still have a hard time not being bored to tears, Bruce."

"We can't have that happen to our billionaire now can we?" Selina said.

"Come on Ashley, there has to be some nice things about Wyoming. Gotham is a rough city, yet it has a few decent spots."

"The only tourist destinations in that state I can think of is Yellowstone National Park. But if you and Selina ever go on a road trip and happen to go through there, drive through it as fast as you can and don't stop until you reach Idaho or Montana."

"Or we could just skip Wyoming altogether and just go to Colorado. It sounds like a much better place," Selina commented.

"Yeah, but the one downside to Colorado is that any fireworks that ignite, explode, or fly through the air are illegal. If you're brave enough to try and get some, you'll have to go to the big black hole next door to get them."

"You mean Wyoming?"

"Exactly, Bruce. And you're better off blasting them off there too because if you got caught with them in Colorado, you will face some hefty fines and even jail time," Hayes replied.

"Gotham cops may be jerks, but Colorado cops sound like total killjoys," Selina said as a man with a beard and a green jacket walked past them.

"Did any of your FBI assignments ever take you to Wyoming?"

"Only one, Bruce. I was part of a taskforce tracking down a guy who fled from Denver with his son during a custodial dispute with his wife. They were going through a divorce and the prospect of being cut off from his son drove him mad.

"What was the suspect's name?" Bruce asked."

"Julius Caldwell. We found the guy hiding out in a motel room with his son in Casper and we apprehended him without firing a shot. Casper PD was sitting across the street in unmarked cars waiting to grab him if he bolted. The kid was unharmed and we safely returned him to his mother."

"Sounds like you guys pulled off a great rescue," Selina commented.

"We most certainly did," Hayes replied.

In the parking lot outside the entrance to the park, the guy who walked past Agent Hayes, Bruce, and Selina pulled out his cellphone to make a call.

After two rings, the person he was trying to reach answered.

"Hello.

"Colonel, it's me. I spotted your sister on the nature trail in Pawtuckaway State Park. She's happily employed as an FBI agent and she also had two kids with her. One of them was Bruce Wayne but I'm not sure who the girl was."

"I can always figure that out later, Captain. For now I'm just glad to hear that my sister is alive and doing well for herself. Thank you so much for your assistance, enjoy the rest of your vacation."

"Roger that, ma'am."

After hanging up, the guy started the engine of his vehicle and drove away.

Hours later, the convoy was back on the road for the long drive back to Concord. Agent Hayes, Bruce, and Selina were so caught up in the beauty of the park, they ended up spending virtually the entire day there.

Bruce was sitting in the back going through the photos he took on his camera while Hayes and Selina were having a duet to a couple of songs on the radio.

Bruce tried singing earlier, but Selina kindly advised him not to quit his day job.

"So what do you plan to do with all of those phots, Bruce?" Hayes asked.

"I'll put them into a portrait dedicated to our time here, when we get back to Gotham and I'll also upload them to the cloud for backup purposes."

"How are you going to upload something to a cloud?" Selina asked.

"He's talking about the internet cloud."

"Oh."

"So do you two want to stop by a place to eat?"

"Nah, we can wait until we get back to cabin," Selina replied then looked over her shoulder at Bruce. "Feeling homesick, B."

"I haven't had time to feel homesick because I've been too busy enjoying myself with you and Ashley."

"Now that's the sign of an excellent vacation. Why be good or great when you can be excellent?"

"My thoughts exactly, Selina."

"I love it when you two agree with each other," Hayes commented.

"If he didn't agree with me on this vacation, I would have to come up with some sort of grueling punishment for him. Something like I don't know, kicking him out of the vehicle and making him walk all the way back to Concord."

"That would be too extreme, Selina. Think of something else."

"Fine, I would hoist him up by his arms with chains and beat his ass with a flyswatter."

"Still painful, but at least it's not as cruel as forcing someone to walk the distance between two cities."

"Trust me, Ashley. Bruce likes pain."

"Do you think spanking is an effective disciplinary method?" Bruce asked.

"It depends, but personally I would go for chastising and a couple of head slaps. Spanking isn't my style."

"I guess that's where you and I differ on how to keep a wayward billionaire in line then," Selina commented.

"I think I'm a well behaved person."

"Sure, until I come around. Trust me Ashley, Bruce and I have had enough misadventures of the streets of Gotham to write a book about."

"If someone ever did, I would be the first in line to buy it."

"They might even make a movie about us too," Bruce said.

"The book is always better than the movie when it comes to true stories."

"That's a matter of opinion, Ashley. I tend to enjoy movies more," Selina replied.

Bruce smiled to himself then went back to looking at the photos as day turned to night and the Tahoes popped on their headlights.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

AN. I found the jokes for this chapter online and the facts about Wyoming's gun ownership, the winds, and the drugs (including the drugs in Oklahoma) came from a combination of research and personal associates. Same with the blurb about Walmarts in Oklahoma and Apollo 18 is an actual movie.

Ashley's cabin

Bruce and Selina were cracking up at the dinner table in response to a Wyoming joke Agent Hayes just made.

When they got back from the park in Nottingham, Ashley didn't feel like cooking anything big due to feeling drained from the long trip. So she asked them if grilled cheese sandwiches would suffice for dinner and they accepted.

It was now Bruce's turn to pull a Wyoming joke from the deck of cards in front of him.

"What do you call a good looking girl on the University of Wyoming Campus?"

"What?" Selina asked.

"A visitor," Bruce said to which Selina let out a snort.

"I would really hate to see what the local chicks look like."

"It's your turn Selina," Ashley said then Selina picked up one of her cards.

"Why did the Casper College grad cross the road?"

"To get to the other side."

"No B, and the better question is why is he out of jail?

Bruce and Ashley laughed for a couple of seconds and then it was Ashley's turn.

"Okay, what separates a good team from a great team?"

"Enlighten us, Ashley," Selina said.

"The Idaho-Wyoming border."

Selina erupted into a fit of laughter while Bruce let out a slight chuckle then picked up his next card.

"What's the difference between Laramie and yogurt?"

"One is a city and the other is a food product."

"Both are correct, Selina. But the biggest difference between them is that yogurt has an active living culture."

"Yogurt never looks alive when I look at it."

"It's basically saying that Laramie is so boring, it makes yogurt look lively," Ashley commented."

"Now I get it," Selina said then picked her next card. "If you have a car containing a cowboys point guard, a cowboys power forward and a cowboys center, who is driving the car?"

"Who's the driver, Selina?" Bruce eagerly asked.

"The cop," Selina replied then the trio erupted into laughter once more. Bruce laughed so hard that he planted his face on the table and slammed his fist on it a couple of times.

"Wow, I just had an image of Detective Gordon being a cop in Wyoming flash through my mind."

"If the criminals there didn't drive him back to Gotham, the boring atmosphere surely would."

"The winds will probably blow him back the moment he stepped in the state. Wyoming winds are nothing to mess with. In some instances, they've blown semi-trucks onto their sides," Ashley said.

"Well any place with winds that strong is definitely off my places to rob before I die list. Alright Ashley, your turn."

"What does a Wyoming native and a bottle of beer have in common?"

Bruce and Selina looked as though they were struggling to figure it out, so Hayes decided to just tell them.

"They're both empty from the neck up."

Laughter ensued once more and then it was Bruce's turn again.

"What does the average University of Wyoming student get on his SAT?"

"I have no idea what an SAT is and I really don't care to know what it is, but what's the answer?"

"A drool, Selina."

"Wow. Students is Wyoming must be bad test takers."

"When you live in a state as boring as Wyoming, there really isn't much to strive for. Apart from being bored, boring, and always being in the mood to shoot something. Wyoming's population is pretty small compared to other parts of the country, but the amount of gun ownership is up in the stratosphere," Hayes replied.

"Another reason to keep Wyoming, the bored and boring state off my places to rob before I die list. Hell I wouldn't want to go there as a tourist either."

"I'm with you on that Selina, and they actually call themselves the Equality State."

Selina slapped her hand on the table gave threw a stinkface.

"As long as that equality speaks to how bored and boring they are, they can keep it that way Ashley."

"What's the most profitable criminal activity in Wyoming?" I understand that it's a boring state, but I'm sure the criminals there have some way of turning a profit."

"They do, Bruce. It's called cooking crystal meth. Most of the people there are so hooked to it you might as well call it Wyoming's drug of choice."

"Well Ashley, thank you for giving me my third reason to cross Wyoming off my list. Meth-heads suck."

"You might as well cross Oklahoma off your list too, Selina. It's practically the meth capital of America. It's also the place where people go to Walmart in the name of having fun."

"I already have it crossed off."

"I would never allow myself to be caught dead in a Walmart."

"I wouldn't let you go in there even if you wanted to, Bruce. Your presence in a Walmart would propel the Earth into the sun and kill us all," Selina commented.

"That's pretty harsh."

"I have a knack for that, Ashley. Now it's my turn."

"Fire away Selina," Hayes said.

"How is a Laramie girl different from a bowling ball?"

"One is a human being and the other is an object?" Bruce asked.

"No. Sometimes a bowling ball is hard to pick up."

"Good one, Selina. Here's another one," Hayes said as she picked up another card. "Why did Wyoming change their field from grass to artificial turf?"

"Why?" Bruce and Selina asked in unison.

"To keep the Cowboys cheerleaders from grazing the field at half time."

"Oh man, that's a good one," Selina said barely containing her laughter. Bruce laughed so hard that he nearly fell out of his chair but he managed to catch himself.

A few minutes later, they were down to their last cards and it was once again Hayes's turn.

"How do you get from Boise Idaho to Laramie Wyoming?"

"What's the way?" Selina asked.

"Go south until you smell shit and east until you step in it."

More laughter followed and Selina considered the joke to be a statement about Laramie's air quality.

"In a way it is," Hayes replied and then it was Bruce's turn.

"What's the one thing that keeps the Cowboys basketball players from graduating?"

Selina and Hayes rubbed their foreheads for a minute trying to figure out the answer, but they couldn't come up with anything."

"Going to class."

Another round of laughter erupted for a few seconds and then it was onto Selina for the final joke.

"What do tornadoes and graduates from the University of Wyoming have in common?"

"They both suck?" Bruce asked.

"That and they both end up in trailer parks."

"Oh those poor trailer parks," Hayes commented between laughs.

"Well that was a great round of laughs," Bruce said.

"Yeah, totally," Selina added then asked Agent Hayes what was next.

"I was thinking we could finish the night with a movie if you two are interested."

"Oh yeah, totally," Selina replied as Bruce nodded.

"Great, I have a small DVD collection in the cabinet under the television. I'm going to get into something more comfortable while you two pick one out."

"Okay, Ashley," Bruce replied.

Hayes went to her room to change as Bruce and Selina headed for the TV stand.

Bruce knelt down to open the cabinet when Selina placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Tell you what B, I'll let you pick the film tonight. I'm not in much of a voting mood."

"Okay. If and when we have a movie night at my house, I'll let you pick the film."

"Great," Selina replied then they heard the sound of music coming from Hayes's room.

"That's strange, I've never heard her play music in her room before."

"Don't read too much into it, Bruce. I'm about to go change into those red PJs. I'll be right back."

"Bruce turned his attention back to the movies and found himself already holding one of them in his hand.

The cover image showed an astronaut being dragged away by something and a tagline saying there's a reason we've never gone back to the moon.

"Apollo 18, this looks interesting."

"Hey Bruce, I'm back," Selina said as she returned to the living room in her red silk pajamas.

"I've selected Apollo 18 for our viewing tonight and I was just about to get the popcorn going."

"Well don't let me stop you, hop to it."

Bruce ran to the kitchen as Selina picked up the movie.

"A SCIFI space movie, this should be fun."

Selina figured that it wouldn't hurt to start it up, so she took the disk out of the box and put it in the DVD player.

"Alright Selina, it's ready," Bruce said as he returned with a giant red bowl of popcorn.

"Whoa, that bowl is huge."

"I used the popcorn popper to make this and I sprinkled some salt and seasoning on it to enhance the taste."

Selina grabbed a handful of popcorn to taste it for herself.

"This is pretty good Bruce."

"I hope you too saved some for me," Hayes said as she entered the room in her blue pajamas.

"I made plenty for all of us, Ashley," Bruce replied.

She looked down at the bowl and saw the amount of popcorn in it.

"I see what you mean by plenty, good job Bruce."

"Thank you."

"What was with the music earlier?" Selina asked.

"I did a little unwinding dance while I was changing."

"I have a pretty good idea what that means. So before we go into TMI territory, let's start the movie."

"Hold on Selina, I'm gonna get the drinks," Bruce replied then went back to the kitchen where he poured three cups of fruit juice and returned just as fast.

After placing them on the table, he kicked off his shoes joined Selina and Ashley on the couch.

Selina turned out the lights to create a more movie theater feel then picked up the remote and pressed play.

"This is some good popcorn, Bruce," Ashley commented after eating her first handful.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

AN. I read up on some past ATF operations for the trios conservation in this chapter.

Ashley's cabin

The next morning.

Bruce opened his eyes and found Selina Still in her pajamas grinning at him.

"Well isn't this cute," Selina said then took a picture with Bruce's camera. The flash prompted Agent Hayes to spring awake.

"Selina this is not what it looks like."

"I wasn't even thinking that, Bruce. Besides it's not like you two are naked. Though if I did walk in on that, I would be screaming loud enough to shatter every glass object in the house and have the guards storm in here with their M4s ready."

"And then I would up losing my badge and facing charges for engaging in sexual conduct with a minor. Bruce may be cute, but his cuteness isn't worth committing career suicide over. Not to mention the scandal that would follow."

"Oh yes, I can already see the headline. Crown Prince of Gotham caught sleeping naked with a FBI agent."

"And all of the other federal agencies would rub it in our faces for all eternity, especially the ATF."

"I would like to hear more about them, but first things first. I'm hungry."

"So am I," Bruce said.

"I'll get breakfast going," Ashley replied then got up and went into the kitchen. Bruce went into the bathroom to wash up and brush his teeth.

The popcorn bowl and drinking cups were still sitting out from last night and with nothing else to do at the moment and Bruce currently occupied in the bathroom, Selina decided she would wash them herself.

As Ashley was making some French toast on the stove, Selina walked in and got to work.

"Hmm, I am surprised to see you wash dishes, Selina."

"With you and Bruce busy with your own little projects, I figured I'd make myself useful. It's not like I consider myself a slouch."

"Well thank you."

"So what are we eating this morning?"

French toast, scrambled eggs and bacon."

"Delicious," Selina commented gleefully.

"I agree, Bruce said as he entered the kitchen.

"You're so lucky I'm on the last cup, B."

"Why do say that, Selina?"

"Because I would've made you switch places with me. Just because you're a billionaire doesn't mean you get to sit on your butt while Ashley and I do all the work."

Not wanting to say anything that might sound offensive, Bruce opted to keep his mouth shut."

"Don't take it too personally, Bruce. I know you would be more than willing to help if asked.

"Yeah, I would be."

A few minutes later, breakfast was served and the trio began eating.

"So what is the ATF, Ashley?" Selina asked.

"They are the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. They deal with crimes such as drug and alcohol trafficking, arson, and the illegal possession, production, and usage of firearms and explosives. The same stuff we do."

"So what's the point of their existence?"

"Not a day goes by where I don't ask myself the same question, Selina. I also have my own name for them, FAINO."

"Which stands for?"

Federal Agents In Name Only. Truth be told, the ATF is just a bunch of extremely incompetent bozos who should be doing other things like bagging groceries, serving drive through customers, and working at Seven-Eleven. They probably wouldn't be able to do those kinds of jobs either."

"Sounds like the FAINOs would fit in perfectly with the GCPD," Selina commented then stuffed two bacon strips into her mouth."

"There's no denying that the GCPD is the most incompetent and corrupt police force in America, but they pale in comparison to how bad the ATF is."

"How many failures have they endured?"

"Enough to fill Alfred's grocery list from top to bottom. But the biggest three in my opinion were the Waco Siege, Operation Fast and Furious, and Operation Fearless."

"Give us the rundown of each failure," Bruce requested.

"I'm willing to bet you're only asking for research purposes," Selina commented.

"There are many valuable lessons to be learned from the failures of others."

Ashley took a moment to eat half of her French toast then continued.

"In 1993, the ATF launched a raid on a compound near Waco, Texas belonging to a doomsday sect called the Branch Davidians. The plan was to serve search and arrest warrants for various weapons violations. The ATF thought it would be business as usual and any opposition they received would be light."

"But it was greater than they anticipated?" Bruce asked.

"Oh yes, much greater. When the ATF arrived, they received heavy fire from forty different locations including a water tower. Six agents and four Davidians were killed in the exchange and the other feds pulled back after running low on ammo. Sixteen ATF guys were wounded too. After a while, a team of FBI negotiators arrived to seek a peaceful resolution. They managed to make contact with the cult leader, David Koresh who said that he and his people would give up in exchange for his message being broadcasted on national radio."

"Let me guess, it was some sermon type stuff?" Selina asked.

"Something like that, keep in mind this happened long before I became an agent. Anyway, we played his message on the radio and then he turned around and said that he received a message from God to remain in the building and wait. But the negotiators were able to get nineteen children out of the compound. But for some strange reason, their parents stayed behind. Despite their absence, we thought the release of the children was a step in the right direction. Until the kids were interviewed."

"What did they say?"

"They claimed they were subjected to various forms of abuse long before the siege began. Although there was no solid proof to back up those claims. The powers that be in Washington DC at the time decided that it was more than enough to launch an assault on the compound. So some armored vehicles breached the walls of the compound buildings to flood them with teargas. Some shots were fired by the Davidians and the amount of teargas was increased. At some point in the assault, three fires broke out and the compound was razed to ground. Eleven Davidians were apprehended after they escaped the building. Koresh and seventy-six of his remaining followers perished in the flames. Nobody knows how those fires got started. The whole mess lasted from February 28th to April 19th."

"Wow, that was a major mess," Selina said then looked over at Bruce. "So Mr. World's Greatest Detective, what's your analysis of the Waco raid?"

"By assuming that the raid was going to be just like all the ones before it, The ATF woefully underestimated the strength of the opposition and overestimated their own. And considering how well the Davidian defenses were set up, I believe somebody tipped them off."

"Yeah, it was a freaking postal worker."

"So tell us about the other major screw-ups of the ATF," Selina said.

"How about we finish eating and then I'll tell you two about Fast and Furious and Fearless when we go for a walk in the woods."

"Deal," Selina replied then crammed the remainder of her French toast into her mouth.

"Apollo Eighteen was a pretty good movie," Bruce commented in regards to last night's film.

"So if anyone were to ask you why we haven't gone back to the moon, what would say?" Ashley asked.

Selina finished off the food in her mouth before responding.

"I would say it's because the last team of astronauts ended up getting their asses kicked by a bunch of predatory moon rocks."

"So would I. but if I was president and found out that the moon was infested with predatory rocks, I would devote fifty percent of our nuclear arsenal to their destruction."

"I don't think the killer rocks would appreciate that."

"Screw them, Selina. They took out our astronauts so they all deserve a heavy dosage of instant sunshine."

"Don't forget about the dead cosmonaut they found up there too. I'm pretty sure the Russians would hop on the payback train," Bruce said.

"A nuclear double teaming of the killer moon rocks, I like the sound of that," Ashley commented.

"Ashley, who else on this planet owns nuclear weapons besides us and Russia?" Selina asked.

"China, England, France, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea. But you need not worry about the norks. They only have a handful and even they could attach them to their missiles which are incredibly subpar…"

"They couldn't chuck one at us even if they tried."

"Bingo and if by some fluke they did get lucky, our retaliation would turn their country into a charred radioactive wasteland."

"That's why they say the only winning move in nuclear warfare is not to play."

"Very true, Bruce."

"So what's the point of having these weapons if you can't really use them?" Selina asked

"Deterrence. It's not a question of who are you going use them against, but who in their right mind is going to go against you knowing that you have them and the means to deliver them anywhere on Earth at a time of your choosing and change the face of planet."

"Point taken," Selina replied.

When they were done eating, Ashley and Selina got themselves together then the trio set out for a morning stroll through the woods.

"This is one beautiful Saturday morning," Bruce commented.

"It most certainly is," Ashley replied.

"So what was Operation Fast and Furious and how did the ATF screw that up?" Selina asked

"It was sting operation that was supposed to help them catch the leaders of various Mexican gangs and drug cartels. The plan if you can call it that was to let some illegal firearms flow into the Mexico via third parties and track them hoping they would lead to high value targets. But here's what went wrong, the ATF lost track of the guns."

"How many did they lose?"

"Fourteen-hundred in total and some of them ended being found at crime scenes on both sides of the border."

"Funneling guns to criminals only for them to get used by the criminals. Your assessment of the ATF is right on the money, Ashley."

"They managed to make thirty-four arrest but none of the suspects were the HVTs they really wanted."

"Once again, way to go ATF," Selina said sarcastically."

"Then came Operation Fearless, another big fuckup for the ATF. A group of undercover agents set up a fake pawnshop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin called Fearless Distributing, the plan was to buy guns and drugs from criminals and use the guns to make arrest and after linking them to crimes."

"It sounds slightly better than Fast and Furious," Bruce commented.

"On the surface, yes. But of the thirty-one people they managed to arrest, none of them were the big time gang leaders they were looking for and during the course of the operation, an ATF vehicle was burglarized and the perp made off with three guns including an M4. It was left at a coffee shop after the agent who drove it went off to his undercover gig at the shop in another vehicle."

"Did they ever get them back?" Bruce asked.

"A guy came into the shop and returned of one the stolen guns and said he would be back with the other two. He never returned. A perspective seller walked into the store with his gun and said he was thinking about selling it, but not until after he got back at someone for shooting his cousin. They let him leave with his gun and had nobody following him.

"Failing to stop a crime makes you just as bad the person who commits it."

"I agree, Bruce. The operation was eventually shut down but then the store was burgalized and thirty-five thousand dollars worth of merchandise was stolen. Sometime after that, the landlord came across a floorplan the ATF left behind."

"What a bunch of idiots," Selina said slowly as she held her head.

"Selina, what's wrong?"

"I can feel their idiocy overloading my brain, Bruce."

"Besides their failures, what else can you tell us about them?"

"They have a little brother complex towards us and we as the FBI hate them because they're a bunch of idiots. If you ever tried to make us work together Bruce, I would wish you all the luck in the world because you would definitely need it."

"If I had to choose between the FBI and the ATF as my go to agency, I would always pick you guys."

"Ditto," Selina said then she asked Ashley what else they were going to do besides walking around in the woods.

"I was thinking we could spend some time at the shooting range today. It would be a perfect place for me to do some recreational shooting and for Selina to get some trigger time on the P90."

"Sweet, let's do it."

"Do any own any other gun besides your service weapon, Ashley?"

"Yes I do. I'll show you and Selina when we get back to the house."

"Okay."

Ashley activated her earpiece and told Agent Marvin to get the convoy ready for they would be leaving soon.

When they returned to house, Ashley retrieved her gun from a storage area in her room and Bruce was amazed by its size.

"Is that what I think it is?" Bruce asked.

"If you think this is a M-107 fifty caliber sniper rifle, then yes. It packs a ten round magazine and can take out a target from a mile away. Guns like this are mainly considered to be anti-material rifles because they can punch through any solid material you can think of."

"Okay for a gun this powerful, we're gonna have to pick up some worthy objects to use it on and for my P90 too," Selina said.

"Cantaloupes and watermelons make the best sacrificial targets," Ashley commented.

"Then our first stop will be the supermarket, let's go," Selina replied.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Bloomington Shooting range

Concord

10:50AM

As the other shooters fired away at at targets from their stations, Agent Hayes and Selina were readying their weapons as Bruce, Agent Marvin, and three other members of his team carried the boxes filled with the things they were going to shoot which were cantaloupes, watermelons, concrete blocks, wooden blocks and even a six pack of beer.

To gather all of these materials, they had to stop by a super market and a Home Depot.

Since they were in an area where live ammunination was in great abundance, Ashley and the kids were wearing helmets, body armor and pads. Safety first after all.

"What targets do you want to use your Barret on first, Ashley?" Bruce asked as she extended the bipod on her M-107 and place it on the ground.

"The cantaloupes, can you set ten of them up for me?"

"Sure, how far out do you want them?"

"It's a mile from here to that hill side. Plant them on those pillars you see."

"Got it," Bruce replied then grabbed a box and headed out.

"Your first round of wooden blocks is ready to go, Selina," Agent Marvin said as she readied her P90.

"Thanks, but I'm going to wait till Bruce gets back before blasting away."

Ashley watched Bruce through the scope of here rifle. There was no need to worry about a misfire because the safety was still on and the gun was currently unloaded.

After setting the last one into place, Bruce picked up the box and ran back to the group.

"The first round of targets is ready, Ashely."

"Thank you Bruce. But you might want to back up a little, this thing is gonna sound like a thunderstorm when it fires."

Bruce picked up a pair of binoculars and stepped back as Ashley inserted the first magazine and switched off the safety.

"First target dead center, two-thousand meters. Are you sure you can make the shot?"

"How's this for an answer?" Ashley replied then pulled the trigger and Bruce watched as the cantaloupe exploded into a dozen bits."

"I guess you can take that as a yes, B," Selina commented.

"Definitely," Bruce replied then called out the next target for Ashley. "Target two left of the first pillar, range two-thousand meters."

Ashley lined it up in her sights and dispatched it with the same results as the first.

Selina watched the process of spotting and shooting be repeated three more times in rapid succession then went over to her station to do some shooting of her own.

"Alright P90, it's time to impress me," Selina said then took aim at the first block of wood and fired off a five round burst.

The block was cut to ribbons in a matter seconds and she finished off the others in very short order.

"Very impressive, bring me two watermelons."

Marvin placed a melon on the pillar in front of her and the second one on the pillar to the right.

Selina fired off a four round burst and obliterated the first melon then switched to semi auto, shifted to next target and put a round through it so fast, the whole process looked like one swift motion.

"You took quite a chunk out of the second one, Selina. Imagine that had been someone's head," Agent Marvin commented.

"I once saw someone take a shotgun blast to head on the streets of Gotham once. Needless to say there wasn't a head left to speak of."

The melon fell off the pillar and Selina finished it off with four more rounds.

"So what's the next you want to blast, Selina?" Marvin asked.

"Four Cantaloupes please."

Marvin quickly set them up for her then got back behind the line.

Selina took aim at the one on the central pillar and fired away.

Even though the shell of a cantaloupe was thicker than that of watermelon, it was no match for the armor piercing rounds. Selina blew the other three to bits then swapped out the empty mag for a fresh one.

Bruce returned to Ashley's side after setting up another target for her then Selina walked over and grabbed Bruce's binoculars while they were still around his neck to see what she was going to shoot next.

"A six pack of beer huh?"

"Yeah, Bruce wants to see what exploding beer looks like so I'm about to show him."

"An odd choice of target if you ask me, but okay," Selina replied then then handed the binoculars back to Bruce so he could resume his spotter job.

"Target, six pack of Budlight. Range, two-thousand meters dead center."

"I got the target lined up and…"

After taking a deep breath, Ashley pulled the trigger and Bruce watched as the pack exploded and a small puff of dirt popped up at the bottom of the hill indicating the bullets landing point.

"Good effect on target, Ashley. You scored two hits for the price of one."

"That was some mighty fine shooting, Agent Hayes," a voice said then Ashley placed the safety back on her rifle then got up to see who it was.

"Detective Rivers, what brings you here?"

"It's my day off from the department so I figured I'd come down here and do a little bit of shooting. Judging by the amount of spent rounds next to your fifty, I'd say you've blasted a fair amount of targets.

"That I have and Bruce Wayne has proven himself to be a very good spotter."

"So how have you been, Mr. Wayne?"

"Pretty well Detective. Selina and I have been having an excellent time in this state."

"With the nice weather and your FBI buddies with you, can't see any reason why you two wouldn't."

"Did you ever find the guy who killed that Janitor at the mall?"

"The suspect actually turned himself in to us three days ago. His name is Phillip Bosman."

"Why did he kill him?"

"For having an affair for his wife. That will set a man off more than anything, but that is no excuse for murder.

"How long will he be locked away if he's found guilty in court.

"Oh he'll be found guilty all right, the evidence we have him plus his confession will be more than enough to lock him away for life without parole." Murder penalties in New Hampshire are pretty harsh, especially for capital murder.

"What's capital murder?" Selina asked as she joined the group after finishing off another round of cantaloupes.

"Killing a cop or a judicial official, punishable by death or life in prison without the possibility of parole."

"I wonder what made him turn himself in," Ashley commented.

"Guilty conscience or knowing that he couldn't hide forever. I'm leaning more towards the second possibility."

"Or it could be a combination of both. Mr. Bosman may be a criminal, but he's still a person."

"Fine words Bruce. But to me, a criminal and I mean any criminal from the petty thief to the rapist is a threat to society that has to be removed for the benefit of everyone."

"I think sexual predators and murderers are far more threatening than thieves. Materials can be replaced, lives can't."

"I think Bruce's assessment is fair," Ashley said then decided it was time to get back to shooting.

"What do you plan on blasting now, Agent Hayes?"

"Five concrete blocks. Since you're still standing there, do you mind setting them up for me Detective?"

"Sure," Rivers replied then got to it.

"Those blocks look very thick," Selina commented.

"No worries, fifty caliber rifles and their machine gun counterparts eat concrete for breakfast, lunch, dinner and so on."

"Remember those fifty caliber machine guns on the vehicles back the Manor?"

"Sure B, how could I forget?" Selina replied.

"Well if you opened up on a wall with one of those things, you wouldn't have wall and anyone hiding behind it wouldn't be left standing either."

"Note to self, never put myself in a position to be on the receiving end of a fifty," Selina said.

After setting the last block into place, Rivers got back behind the line and Ashley once again flipped the safety off.

Bruce called out the first target then she fired off two shots. The first round went right through the block blowing off a huge big chunk and continued on into the hill while the second round finished off the remains.

"Whoa, that block didn't stand a chance," Selina said.

"Yeah, and neither does the next one, Ashley replied the process of spotting and shooting was repeated with the same devastating results for the block.

"Bruce and Agent Hayes would really make a great sniper team."

"They surely would, Detective, Selina replied as the firing continued.

"Well I'm about to start sending rounds downrange, your three have a nice day now," Rivers said then went to go find himself a shooting station.

"Painting all criminals as monsters regardless of offense? Talk about being extreme," Selina muttered under her breath."

Ashley destroyed the final concrete block then changed magazines since the one in her gun was empty.

"It's time for the final round, Bruce. I want you and Agent Marvin to set up the wooden blocks for me and Selina.

"Okay."

Bruce brought a box containing five wooden blocks to Selina's station then set them up for her on the range while Marvin did the same for Ashley.

"Those targets are ready when you are, Selina."

"Thank you B, but I think now it's time for you to return to your spotter position next to Ashley."

Bruce promptly made his way back over to her as Marvin returned to his position.

"Are you locked and loaded again, Ashley?

"Absolutely Bruce."

Just as Bruce was about to call out the first target, he was caught off guard by the sound Selina's P90 firing.

He and Ashley look over and see that her targets have already been reduced to tiny fragments.

"The sooner you too finish up, the sooner we can grab some lunch. I'm getting very hungry here."

"Not wanting to keep Selina waiting any longer, Bruce announced the ranges of each target and Ashley followed up with a shot from her rifle as fast as he called them out.

"In a matter of seconds, all wooden blocks were blasted into oblivion.

"Hmm, I got five more rounds to go and it's a pity because we don't have anything left to shoot."

"So now can we go eat? Selina asked.

"Sure, Selina, I got the perfect lunch in mind," Ashley replied then they returned to their vehicle and the convoy headed off to the next destination.

AN. Sorry I took so long with this update, I had to take some time to recharge my creative juices. As for the name of the shooting range, I made it up for the story.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Ashley's Cabin

12:07PM

"Lunch is served kids," Agent Hayes said then Bruce and Selina ran into the kitchen and took their seats as she placed the tray on the table. Today's meal was cheeseburgers with boneless honey barbeque wings and milkshakes.

They each had their own flavors. Selina's was chocolate, Bruce's was strawberry, and Ashley's was a mix of strawberry and banana.

About a minute or two into the feast, Selina was the first to break the silence after sipping some of her milkshake.

"This milkshake is absolutely the bomb, Ashley."

"Is this your first time having a milkshake, Selina?"

"Yeah, good stuff is hard to come by in the streets."

"As a former street kid, I know that all too well. But Bruce, how come you've never treated your girlfriend to a milkshake before?"

"It's kinda hard to make a treat when you're running through the streets of Gotham on hair raising adventures."

"Humph, more like hair raising mis-adventures," Selina commented.

"Even in the most chaotic times which Gotham surely has plenty of, you two should find a way to celebrate the bond you have."

"Oh we have celebrations, Ashley. Just not in the conventional sense," Selina replied.

"But anyway, you did another outstanding job making this food for us and I agree with Selina's assessment of the milkshakes."

"Thank you very much Bruce," Ashley replied smiling then reached over and patted him on the head.

"Given the quality of your cooking, I can easily picture you being a gourmet chef. Maybe you could be if you decide to retire from the Bureau."

"If I wasn't having too much fun being a federal agent, I would cross over into the culinary realm. But since I am, you won't be seeing me on the Food Network. In fact, I actually plan to live a life of seclusion after the FBI."

"Does the FBI have a mandatory retirement age by any chance?" Selina asked.

"Yep, all field agents must retire at fifty-seven. Those in support positions don't have to worry about that because they're not running around chasing criminals and dodging bullets and shit."

"Maybe you could become the director someday," Bruce commented.

"Maybe. But in order to become Director of the FBI, you need to be appointed by the president and confirmed by a vote in the Senate. And the position comes with a ten year term limit."

"I guess that's a failsafe to keep you from staying around till you die of old age," Selina said.

"That and to ensure that other people get a chance to advance through the ranks," Ashley added.

"Both of which sound like good reasons to me," Bruce said then went back to his milkshake.

"These wings are fantastic, Ashley. I really wish we had a giant plate of them," Selina said.

Ashley was about to reply when her cell phone rang and she excused herself to answer it.

A minute later, she returned to the kitchen to tell Bruce and Selina the news.

"That was Agent Baldwin. He says that they got a lead on the group responsible for the attack on the Concord police station and he wants me back in Gotham by tomorrow."

"I guess that means we're due back too," Bruce replied.

"Like leaving us in this state on our own is even an option. I understand this vacation wouldn't last forever, but I was hoping we would be able to squeeze one more skydive in before we left."

"There may still hope on that front, Selina," Ashley said then grabbed her phone off the table.

"Who are you calling?" Bruce asked.

"A friend of mine who used to be in the Air Force but he still has some connections on the inside."

Unlike the call from Baldwin, Ashley did not excuse herself to make this one.

"Hey Trent. It's me, Ashley."

"Hey Ashely, it's been a while. What can I do for you?"

"I'm looking after Bruce Wayne and his girlfriend and they want to skydive into Gotham for their return trip but they want to do it in style."

"Sounds awesome, where do I come in.

"I need you to see if the Air Force has any transports flying out of New Hampshire with a flight route that takes them over Gotham."

"Got it, I'll check with one of my buddies and get back to you with a yay or nay."

"Copy that," Ashley replied then hung up.

Four minutes later, her phone rang again.

"So what did your friend say, Trent?"

"You guys are in luck. There's a C-17 transport plane parked at Pease Air National Guard Base that is scheduled to fly out at eleven thirty hours tomorrow. Its destination is a base in Georgia but its flight route will take it right over Gotham. When the pilot found out that the request to make a jump from his place was coming from none other than Bruce Wayne of Gotham, he was very quick to approve with only one stipulation."

"And what would that be?" Ashley asked.

"Don't be late."

"Oh we'll be there tomorrow," Ashley replied.

C-17

Somewhere over Gotham

The next day

"We're one minute out from the drop point guys," The loadmaster said.

"Thanks for the heads up, Tech Sergeant," Agent Hayes replied then finished checking Bruce and Selina's chutes. "Your backups and primaries are good to go."

"Sweet," Selina replied, then put on her helmet.

"So how are you feeling, Selina?" Bruce asked.

"Excited that I'm about to be the first street girl to descend into Gotham from 30,000 feet."

"Ashley, have you ever jumped out of a plane before?"

"This is going to be a first time for me too, Bruce."

"Thirty seconds," the loadmaster announced then the trio pit on their oxygen masks and formed as the ramp began to descend.

Anticipation was flowing through their veins as they waited for the green light.

Ten seconds before the signal, a pallet with the boxes containing all of the stuff they bought while they were in New Hampshire slid forward and went out of the plane. Its parachute would open soon enough.

Shortly after that, the greenlight flashed then Bruce, Ashley, and Selina ran forward and jumped into the clear blue sky.

"Loadmaster to pilot, our guests are away. I repeat, our guests are away."

"Copy that, close the bay."

"Roger that, close the bay."

Wayne Manor

Alfred and a group of five federal agents were looking up and the sky looking for the any sign of Bruce, Agent Hayes and Selina. The pallet made it to the ground safely and all of the boxes were still secured by the straps.

Three minutes passed and there was still no sign of them.

"Where in the bloody hell could they be?" Alfred asked.

"Good afternoon guys," Selina said from behind the group, then they turned and saw her along with Bruce and Ashley smiling.

"Master Bruce, Agent Hayes, Ms. Kyle, welcome back. I trust you all had a lovely time in New Hampshire?

"Yes we did, Alfred. I would love to stick around, but I'm due back at the field office. We have some leads to pursue. Take care of yourselves kids."

"You too, Ashley," Bruce replied then he, Selina, and Alfred waved goodbye as she and the other feds got into the vehicles and left."

"So was everything well in my absence, Alfred?"

"Yes it was Master Bruce and while you were away, some guys from DARPA took your private jet out to Marvin Air Force base where they upgraded it. But I think revamping it is the more proper word considering that they stripped it down, installed a lot of new stuff like EMP shielding, anti-missile countermeasures and a better communication system then returned it to its hangar at the airport good as new."

"What is DARPA?" Selina asked.

"The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. They develop all sorts of wonder gadgets for the military and other government agencies."

"So in a nutshell, they're an organization of nerds?"

"In your terms, yes. But I prefer the term technocrats," Bruce replied then turned to Alfred. "Before we begin moving these boxes into the house, I want you to make a call to put my plane on standby."

"Mind if I ask where we're going, Master Bruce.

"Switzerland. And Selina will be joining us too."

Fin.

I hope you all enjoyed reading this story. The next one will be called Telling the Tale, my sequel to Journey To The Silent World.


End file.
